


Halfway Dead

by Technoplague



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Gen, I'm Bad At Summaries, Jealousy, M/M, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Thief, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-05-05 00:57:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14605701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Technoplague/pseuds/Technoplague
Summary: The story of a crew just trying to make their way in the Galaxy. Love, pain, space travel, and explosions.





	1. Like a Sucker Punch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so terrible with summaries, I'm sorry.
> 
> This work had quite a few edits, so I'm republishing it with it's permanent title & I swear I'm not editing the chapter anymore.

_So this is how I die; in a blaze of blaster fire and surrounded by angry Mandalorians._

Another shot pings the speeder she’s hiding behind and she flinches despite knowing she’s safe in her cover, for now.

_I guess this is actually better than how I pictured my death._

Fingers snap beside her and she whips her head in the direction of the noise, eyes focusing on the heavily armored body of her companion. Like her, he is also crouched down and flinching occasionally as blaster bolts ping around them. His armor would protect him for the most part, but there were gaps between plates. Mandalorians would know where to hit to bring him down.

“Focus, _ad'ika_. I can see that spaced off look in your eyes. The fight’s not out there, it's here.” He jabs his thumb back over his shoulder to drive home the point. As if she wasn't aware of the five angry armored mercenaries who'd been hunting them for two days and finally had them pinned down. The warehouse they were in had two exits; the one they came in through and one they'd have to run through open space to get to. Chances were they'd be hit, or dead before they would make it. So here they crouched, both of them wondering when the speeder would give out as protection.

Noticing her companion's hands as he reaches for his blasters, she grabs ahold of one and turns it over several times. "What in the blazing hells happened to your gloves," she asks, voice rising a little as a look of disbelief and genuine confusion flits across her face. They weren't like this yesterday, she'd been admiring them then and hadn't noticed that every finger was sheared off to the second joint.

He snatches his hand back and scoffs, the sound distorted by the modulator in his helmet. "Fingers had holes so I burnt the ends off. Makes for shooting a lot easier, don't know why I didn't do it before." His tone is flippant and frustrating to her ears.

Her face belies her skepticism. "You burnt-," she rubs a dirty, bloody hand over her face with a groan, "You **burnt** the tips off?! Why did you not just cut them off you damn pyromaniac?! I would think that would have been a million times easier!" Her voice is now high and thin, the stress of their current situation mingling with her utter shock of him doing something so dumb.

Her companion stares at her... Or she assumes he's staring because the mirrored t-visor of his helmet is pointed unwaveringly in her direction. It's hard to ever tell what Mandalorians are looking at, or if they're maybe sleeping under those buckets. "Now, Lis? You want to complain about my fashion choices now?" Despite the modified voice, she can hear the sarcasm in his tone. It isn't appreciated, she's stressing enough without his added sardonicism.

She runs her hands through her short hair before throwing them up in exasperation. A few quick shots ring out and she yanks her hands back down. "Shut up, Kelan. Just- just shut up. Help me figure out how we're getting out of here."

The sounds of blaster fire cease.

Kelan is the first to notice and takes the opportunity to rip a small imploder from his bandolier, tossing it over his shoulder towards their attackers. It's only a few seconds but feels almost like eternity before they can hear the sounds of yelling and cursing as the five Mandalorians scatter to avoid being ripped apart by the imploder. It goes off with a satisfying sound and she hopes it’s enough to buy them time. They'd think twice about strategy now that they knew their targets were armed with explosives. It's then that Kelan decides to break the silence.

"No. You know what, I think I **do** want to have this conversation right now." He sets his blasters down on the floor beside him and holds his hands out towards her, making a show of flipping them over. Lis can't help but crack a small tired smile at the multitude of lights flashing on his gauntlets, turning this whole stupid charade into a miniature strobe show. "What do you think, Lis? Should I make them shorter? Maybe lose the gloves altogether? I'm genuinely curious what you think since you seem to be the enforcer for fashion right now. I'd hate to offend you since it may be the last karking thing I ever do." His voice grows harder on the last words, the modulator in the helmet only amplifying how angry he sounds.

Lis strikes out with a fist and catches him in a shoulder plate as he instinctively turns to brace for the hit. Howling in pain she retracts her hand, cradling it against her chest as the stinging sensation radiates throughout. It wasn't a hard hit but it would still hurt for a bit. She did not think through her decision of hitting someone in full beskar'gam.

_Dumb decision, Atlis._

She can hear the smirk in his voice as he speaks. "Serves you right, _di'kut_. Striking my armor, you really should know better."

With her good hand, she reaches out and, lightly this time, slaps the side of his helmet. "Screw you, buckethead. We need to focus on getting out of here and not your dumb ass decision to set your gloves on fire out of boredom. I'll buy you new gloves when we get out of here in one piece."

"If we get out of here in one piece," he corrects.

"Mandalore save me from iron-headed Mandalorians" she grumbles. She casts him a withering look, wishing she could see his face inside that helmet right now; green eyes, full lips, a nose crooked from being broken one too many times. Was he giving her the same look she was giving him? She could picture it in her head; those eyes would narrow and his lips would thin out as he pressed them together. "Don't be so melodramatic, we'll get out of here just fine."

Kelan holds up a fist in front of her face, ticking off his points as he goes. "One, don't use Mandalore's name like that, especially if you want to get out of here alive. You are not a Mandalorian. Two, I'll be melodramatic if I want since your impulsive butt got us in trouble in the first place," he snarls. "Three, and most importantly; why the brix did you steal a speeder from Clan Corra?! Do you have a death wish I need to know about?"

She bats his hand away and slumps further down behind the stolen speeder. It was trash now, it didn't matter why she stole it anymore. "I don't have a death wish. I'm a smuggler, I smuggle stuff. The stuff just happened to be a conveniently placed speeder that someone would pay money for because they have it out for Corra."

"Oh for shit's sake, Atlis. You stole it because someone is playing a prank on them? Tell me you're smarter than that."

She gives him a small sarcastic smile and a shrug. "I could but I feel like you would call me a liar."

His visor levels on her again and she can feel the piercing stare of his eyes on her. " _Mir'sheb_. Don't toy with me right now. We're in deep bantha shit because of you."

She catches her reflection in the mirrored tint of his visor as he stares her down. _Shit, is that what I look like right now?_ Her cropped red hair is sticking up in random directions, she's missing one of the lenses in her goggles, there's so much dirt and grime on her face that it constitutes as makeup at this point, and she's got a gash on her eyebrow that she doesn't remember getting. In short, she looks rough. He finally breaks their sad staring contest to start scanning the area, probably for an escape route that won't get them shot full of holes.

She can feel the fight draining out of her as his words resonate within her. She's just so tired; tired of running, tired of watching her back, tired of getting shot at. He's right of course, it is her fault that they're in this mess. It's her fault that Kelan is now huddled beside her, tarnishing his reputation by choosing to stand beside her. He had the chance to abandon her two days ago and he'd instead chosen to run with her. Now Clan Corra was on their backs and she was going to get them both killed, or at least severely injured. She didn't deserve a friend like Kelan, yet here they were; hiding behind a speeder and bitching about his gloves.

With a soft sigh, she pushes herself up off the ground and raises her hands above her head, slowly sidestepping from behind the speeder to draw attention away from Kelan who is still huddled and staring off into the distance. He hadn't noticed her movements yet. _Good, don't let him have a chance to stop this._

She's backing towards the direction of the earlier blaster fire when she hears the sound of heavy armor moving towards her. She's halfway there when Kelan's helmeted head swivels in multiple directions before noticing her. She wiggles her fingers in a small wave and gives him a sad smile as the five members of Clan Corra surround her.

"Kelan gets to walk out," she says quickly, loudly. She doesn't want them grabbing him, not when this is all her fault. "He was just being my friend. I stole the damn speeder myself. Got paid to do it, I'd do it again."

One of the Mandalorians steps into her view, blocking her view of Kelan. She found herself wondering again what his face looked like under the helmet at this moment. Did he look shocked or pained at her sacrifice? She hoped so, he needed to wear something other than smugness on his face.

The Mandalorian before her grabs both of Lis' hands in one fist, bringing them together in front of her chest. She’s unable to help herself as she offers the helmeted visage a smirk. "Oh, nice and strong. I like that." The sass grants her some chuckles from the gathered group but nothing from the person holding her wrists in a slowly tightening grip. She expected that. Most people didn't get coy with Mandalorians if they wanted to live.

Her hands are shackled in binders and then passed off to another armor-clad figure standing beside her while the original captor reaches up to remove their helmet. What greets Lis first is tendrils of blonde hair tumbling free and then she's looking into the face of the Clan's very own leader. Of course, it would be her luck that it wasn't lackeys coming after her. She lets loose a string of creative expletives. "Knew that shooting was too good to be some low-rung Clan member" she grumbles, eyes downcast as she lets the embarrassment sink in. She could have probably got away on the trip back to the compound if it had been almost anyone else, but Corra's matriarch was notorious for never losing her target.

The woman, Ruusaan, gives her a slow smirk and Lis' stomach churns at the implications. "You stole my personal speeder, you know that right? You thought I'd let just anyone go after a thief who takes my things?"

Lis can't help it, it's out before she can even process what she's saying, "Technically isn't everything, and everyone, in the Corra compound yours?"

She regrets the lack of filter between her brain and mouth when an armored fist connects with her jaw. She can't tell if it came from Ruusaan or one of the two on her sides, it was too fast and now she's seeing stars. In the back of her mind she's grateful that Kelan is laying low and hasn't barged in yet. His Clan did not need to go to war with Corra. Mandalorians fought each other all the time but she didn't want to be the cause of a fight.

Ruusaan reaches up and grabs Lis' chin roughly between her fingers, taking no care that her face was now aching or how hard she was pinching. "I could kill you, you know. Your little friend wouldn't be quick enough to get to you before I put a blaster bolt in your stomach. He would only die with you." She turns Lis' face left and right, studying the features and just generally enjoying the mix of fear and defiance she sees in the smuggler's eyes. "But no, I won't kill you. I have a much more fitting punishment. And I'll even let you keep the speeder, it's no use to me anymore. You will most likely need it to sell for parts."

Lis doesn't have time to register the words, nor the capability to comprehend them with her brain still muddled from the pain, before one wrist is released from the binders and the manacled wrist is yanked painfully behind her back. A boot is planted on her lower back and she's shoved to the floor, arm still bound and the other flailing to give some balance so she doesn't face plant. In the end, it doesn't matter, she has to press her face to the floor for any comfort. Her free arm is yanked out in front of her and it's with terrifying clarity that she realizes what is about to happen; she's either losing her hand or it's about to be broken beyond repair. What other reason is there for this kind of treatment?

Faintly she can hear Kelan now pleading with Ruusaan to just take the speeder back and that she'd be compensated for it. His helmet must be removed because Lis doesn't hear any trace of the modulation given by the helmet. _Ass,_ she thinks angrily to herself, _you hardly let me see you without your helmet._

Suddenly there's yelling and what sounds like a fight breaks out. Kelan's helmet hits the ground in her field of vision and her terror mounts. "I said he gets to walk out" she slurs, trying to be loud to pull their attention back to her. She struggles against the hold on her arms to no avail.

Ruusaan presses a boot down between her shoulder blades and looms over her. "He will after we're through with you."

It's the sound of a vibrosword that makes her suddenly want to puke, pure terror setting in. She was already scared but some small part of her had hoped that this wouldn't happen, that this was a terrible nightmare she'd wake up from. She'd never been caught before, never had to face repercussions for any bad thing she'd done while on a job.

"Hold her still. Sit on her if you have to but don't knock her out. I want her to remember this."

It's the last words she hears before blinding agony races through her right arm, then shoulder, and suddenly it's everywhere and she's screaming. She tastes blood. She hears Kelan screaming, or maybe it's still just her and everything sounds dual. It feels like lightning ricocheting through her body.

Booted feet walking away from her are blurry, the edges of her vision tinged with black.

Then there's nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> There's other chapters for this written if anyone's interested, but it also works as a standalone. If you'd like to see more, let me know. I love Lis & Kelan, they're so fun to write.
> 
>  
> 
> ad'ika - little one, son, daughter, of any age - also used informally to adults much like *lads* or *guys*  
> di'kut - idiot, useless individual, waste of space (lit. someone who forgets to put their pants on)  
> mir'sheb - smartass


	2. Ruby Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! I had originally planned on posting this tomorrow, but one day early won't hurt anyone. Hope you all enjoy.
> 
> I hope you can forgive how awful I am with chapter titles. I have a playlist going when I write and I hope that something strikes me, it's hit or miss.

The ship lands outside the warehouse, dust kicking up as three Mandalorians exit from the ramp, barely waiting for it to touch down before they’re running towards the entrance of the building. Inside they find debris scattered from Kelan’s bomb but they can still clearly see the destroyed speeder in the back. Kelan is on his knees beside Lis, his hands carding through her hair as he speaks softly to her in Mandalorian. She wouldn’t understand it if she was awake but it didn’t matter, the tone of the words are as comforting as the words themselves.

The three newcomers look to each other before heading towards the gruesome scene and as they approach two peel off to start moving the downed speeder. It wouldn’t start but they could still push it back to the ship. They’re halfway to the exit when Kelan leaps away from Lis and starts towards them. Who cares about the speeder when his friend is dying?

“We don’t have time for this, _vod_. Lis doesn’t have time for this. We need to get her back to the base and stop the bleeding.”

A heavy metal-armored hand clamps down over Kelan’s collar plate and yanks him to a bone-jolting stop. It takes everything in Kelan not to turn around and throw a punch, but he knows whose hand that is. They didn’t have time for another fight and they didn’t need someone else bleeding and in need of medical attention. A fight between two Mandalorians hardly ever ended without a little bloodshed. This particular Mandalorian was the cause of at least one break to Kelan’s nose.

The other man releases Kelan, reaching up to remove his helmet. Kelan is greeted with the familiar sight of shaggy brown hair and a scar running down the left side of the man’s face. The entire left eye is cybernetic, the surrounding skin sporting enhancements as well. “She’ll be fine, Kelan. They’ll get her loaded into the ship after the speeder is squared away. Your little friend is tough, you do her a disservice by assuming she can’t survive a few extra minutes.” Though his words are positive there’s sadness and worry in his eyes. He doesn’t know Lis well but even he is worried about her. Lis tended to have that effect on people; she seems all tough but it’s easy to see the vulnerability she hides and it makes people want to protect her.

Sure enough, the two Mandalorians are entering the warehouse again, this time a hover-stretcher between them. Kelan wants to scream as he watches them lift her. She looks so pale against the white backdrop of the stretcher, the angry red of what’s left of her shoulder creating a gruesome smattering of color to the picture. He’s frozen in place as he watches his Clan mates move her out and then the door closes behind them, shutting off his view of them loading her onto the ship.

The other Mandalorian starts after them, pausing at the door to cast a look back to Kelan. “Come on, young one. Let’s get your _cyar’ika_ patched up.” A cruel smile twists his face, the scar making it all the more menacing. “After that, you and I are going to leave a little present for Ruusaan.”

Kelan is too worried about Lis to correct his clan mate about their relationship as he runs after them to board the ship.

~*~

He’s staring at her hand as the ship lifts up, barely even registering the rock and sway of everything around him. He’s too busy noticing how pale she is, how he can see every vein in her hand. They’re so blue. Was she always this pale? He can hardly even see the freckles on her skin with how light she is.

Her right arm, or rather her right shoulder, has field bandages haphazardly taped on in an attempt to stop the blood flow. The end of the bandages are soaked through with it though, they would need changing soon. He’s still not sure she’s going to make it, but he hopes. He can’t lose her like this. They’ve been through too much together for him to lose her now. For as long as he’s known her she’s always been a fighter and he has to believe that she will fight her way through this.

He looks away from her to pull his helmet off, letting it fall to the floor with a metallic thump. He rips his gloves off and throws them against the wall. He’s going to burn them after Lis is taken care of. No, screw that, he’s going to let her burn them.

He runs his hands through his hair, grabbing fistfuls of it and tugging. He wants to scream and rage but he’s too afraid to disturb Lis. She seems to be blacked out still but he doesn’t know if his yelling two feet from her face would rouse her, he’d rather let her not feel this pain for as long as possible. Maybe when she woke up she’d be hooked up to painkillers. He hopes that’s what will happen.

Dark spots start appearing on his flight suit between armor plates; small, round blotches turning the black of his suit even blacker. He watches more appear before he realizes that he’s crying. He’s fucking crying. He didn’t cry when his father was killed but he’s crying now. With a soft growl he swipes at his eyes, trying to hide the show of emotion. He’s Mandalorian, he can’t show weakness. Especially not over some smuggler brat who is too dumb to say no to a job she knows will get her killed.

The thought causes a dark chuckle to emanate from low in his chest. _Who’s more the fool, Kelan? The fool or the fool who follows her?_ He had chosen to do that job with her. He hadn’t known exactly what it was but she had given him an out early on and he had chosen to stick beside her. That was him to a fault though; foolishly loyal. He had done plenty of jobs with Lis before but she had a knack for never getting caught. He had thought this time wouldn’t be any different.

He reaches out and grabs her left hand in his hands, careful not to put too much pressure. “Looks like all the bad luck caught up at once, huh Lis” he whispers, eyes downcast and focusing on their joined hands. Her hands- no, hand, is so small, he can’t believe he hasn’t noticed how fragile she is before. She’s so small. He always saw her as larger than life, but now, bleeding out and blacked out, she has no bravado to make her seem so large.

Someone clears their throat from somewhere to his right and he casts a quick glance their way before looking back to his hand on Lis’. His gaze hardens and there’s steel in his voice when he speaks. “Whatever it is can wait, Jaden.” He looks back over to the metal plated monstrosity of a Mandalorian in the doorway. Jaden may have stopped him before in the warehouse, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk or be calmed down right now. Jaden still has his helmet off, the left eye whirring and cataloging Lis’ condition on the cot.

“Actually it can’t. It’s about that speeder.” Both eyes, real & fake, now slide to focus on Kelan sitting there with Lis’ hand still clutched in his like a lifeline. “She’ll be fine for two minutes, Kelan. Come talk to us, we have a plan.” With that, the large man turns on his heel and vanishes back to the front of the ship.

Kelan stares at the empty spot that Jaden has vacated for several seconds then heaves out a heavy sigh. He gives Lis’ hand a slight squeeze then places it back on the cot beside her prone body, pushing himself off the seat with stiff knees that crack as he stands. It takes a minute before he can pull his gaze away from the redhead on the cot and walk towards the front of the ship. The three Mandalorians are crowded in the front, armor taking up space that isnt there to spare. The two that had carried the cot are in the pilot & co-pilot seats and Jaden has his hands placed on the back of each as he braces himself. Kelan can't help but smirk at the sight. ”Getting hard to hold yourself up, old man? Might want to retire or shed some plates.”

Jaden chuckles, the sound a deep rumbling in his chest, but doesn't turn to face Kelan. ”I can still kick your ass, _verd’ika_. I'd watch that smart mouth or you'll end up in the cot next to your red head.” There's a smirk in his voice as he speaks and it causes a matching smirk to cross Kelan’s lips.

It's a tasteless joke to make but it somehow helps break the tension that's been building since the ship lifted off. Kelan barks out a laugh and pushes on Jaden’s shoulder playfully. The other two Mandalorians take the cue that it’s okay to laugh and join in. He watches their shoulders rise & fall in hushed chuckles for several seconds, enjoying the camaraderie. A small smile lingers on his lips after the laughter dies down. These are good people, they came running when he called. If it wasn’t for them, Lis probably would have bled out in that warehouse. She still might. _Let’s get this trick of theirs over with._

He clears his throat to grab everyone’s attention and shifts back and forth on his feet, not sure if he’s going to like their plan or not. Two heads swivel to look at him and the third, the pilot, raps his fist on his bucket to show he’s listening. “Jaden said you guys had a plan with the speeder? I’d like to hear it. Lis deserves some payback.” He shifts his weight to lean against the wall beside him, trying to affect a casual stance and hoping it comes off as ‘I’m totally not panicking and internally screaming about my friend missing her kriffing arm’.

Jaden’s smirk drops and he turns to fully face Kelan. “These two,” he jerks his thumb over his shoulder at the two piloting Mandalorians, “decided it’d make a nice gift for Corra if we drop the remains of their speeder in the middle of their compound and blow it up.” The two in the chairs start chuckling again, louder this time and modulated by their helmets. The sound is eerie and also, Kelan thinks, vaguely hilarious. It sounds like two droids being ground together.

Their plan has merit, he will admit that much. It would be nice to strike back at Corra for taking Lis’ arm. They had gone too far, but that was always the case when Mandalorians had their pride bruised. Realizing they're waiting for his response he gives a terse nod to Jaden. ”I can get behind this. They went too far, Lis might die. And if she doesn't then she’ll be glad we got back at them.” There's steel in his eyes as he finishes, a predatory glint that would make a lesser man’s blood run cold to witness it. As it is, his three companions only nod in understanding; this would be personal, they would make it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vod - brother, sister, comrade  
> cyar'ika - darling, sweetheart  
> verd'ika - private (rank) Can be used affectionately, often to a child; *little soldier* [context is critical]


	3. Making War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I'm coming for you & I'm making war_

“We’re over the drop point and we’ve got their attention, it’s now or never lover-boy!”

Kelan growls under his helmet and it earns him a chuckle through the built-in comm system. When this was done and Lis was under proper medical care he was going to beat the bantha-crap out of Jaden for all of these comments. Right now he had more important matters to attend to...

The door on the ship slides open to reveal a sprawling landscape dotted with housing and people. There would be plenty of witnesses to this act of revenge and Kelan isn't sure if he's happy with that or if it makes him nervous. There would be no coming back from this, no plausible deniability. _Oh well._

”Let’s light it up, _vod_.”

With those words Kelan, Jaden, and the copilot push the speeder out the side of the ship. They’d be losing their hover-cart but they could get another. As the speeder makes its descent towards the compound Kelan takes aim with his gauntlet and fires off the small rocket holstered on it. The mods in his helmet assure him the rocket will hit its target but he doesn’t need them to be sure of that, he knew before he fired that he wouldn’t miss. He had too much riding on this to miss.

It’s a glorious spectacle of fire and debris as the rocket hits home, blowing the speeder to pieces and sending shrapnel careening down into the compound and the mass of onlooking Mandalorians. Kelan spares a brief moment to hope that none would hit anyone, or at least anyone that didn’t deserve it. As far as he was concerned it could splatter the ones who took Lis’ arm and he’d be just fine with that.

He doesn’t see when the speeder’s remains hit the ground, the ship already banking right and hightailing it away before they have pursuers. Not that it would matter; Ruusaan knew who had access to that speeder and would know who had done this. It was a matter of if she’d take further offense or if she’d let this go.

Kelan isn’t sure which one he’s hoping for. His body is still amped up, primed for a fight that hasn’t occurred. By the looks of things, Jaden and their copilot feel the same way. The copilot, a boy who looked wiry even with armor on, was bouncing subtly on the balls of his feet and glancing back to the cockpit. Jaden’s left eye was cataloging the movements of his two comrades but was otherwise still. If Kelan didn’t know the man well he would’ve seemed calm, but that eye wouldn’t be whirring if he wasn’t looking for something.

Finally Jaden has enough and shoves the smaller Mandalorian’s shoulder, pushing him towards the cockpit. “Get in that karking seat and sit still. Your fidgeting is making me want to punch you.”

The copilot snickers in his helmet. “I’ll take ya on when we land, old man” he calls back as he maneuvers his way back to the front.

Kelan watches the retreating form with interest. That voice…. he knew that voice. His head swivels to look at Jaden, seeing that the man was already watching him. He’d noticed the staring. Kelan clears his throat. “Is that Pax” he asks, trying to keep his voice neutral.

Kelan’s history with Pax could best be described as complicated. There was really no better word. Pax was five years Kelan’s junior and had been glued to Kelan’s side as they’d grown up. As they got older Kelan lost patience with the act and had taken to trying to lose the smaller boy in crowds. When Kelan passed his trials to become a warrior, Pax had insisted on taking them right after. He had failed and Kelan had been mortified. People blamed him. Shouldn’t Pax have been just as good if they’d spent all that time together? Their Clan leader at the time had tasked Kelan with making sure Pax was ready when the time came and Kelan begrudgingly did as he was told. For five years he dealt with it and then Pax passed his trial. Kelan had thought that’d be the end, they were men now. But then Kelan’s dad died on a mission and Pax had been there for him. The only person who’d actually thought to check up on him. Everyone else had played the ‘He was Mandalorian, he went out honorably’ card and Kelan had been sick of hearing it. He didn’t cry, but he grieved…. and Pax was there the whole time.

“He wouldn’t let anyone else come get you.”

Jaden’s voice snaps Kelan from his reverie. Of course Pax wanted to save him again. Of course the brat wanted to see him at his lowest again. Why didn’t this kid just give up? Kelan hated him, everyone knew that! Why couldn’t Pax see that?

Jaden’s arm snaps out to block Kelan’s path towards the cockpit. He didn’t even realize he’d been moving. Jaden shoots Kelan a glare and gives a small shake of his head. “No. You deal with this when we land. You want to hit him, I won’t stop you. You need to get this done with. But right now you need to go back to your girly. She needs you.”

Kelan slaps Jaden’s arm down and pivots on a heel with a soft growl, marching his way back to Lis’ cot in the back of the ship. He was right and he hated that Jaden was right. He could kick Pax’s ass later but Lis needed someone watching her. And shit how had he forgotten that, even through his anger-induced haze? What if she was awake back there in pain and alone?

The thought has him almost jogging the short distance to the back where Lis lies, still blacked out and breathing. Kelan huffs out a relieved sigh and takes his previously occupied seat, debating holding her hand again and instead choosing to let it lie beside her on the cot. She wouldn’t want to be coddled; she always liked to pretend she was more badass than she really was.

Kelan checks her bandages on her shoulder noting that at least the blood doesn’t seem to have seeped through any more than when he’d left. That’s a good thing, right? He really hopes they make it to the compound soon because he doesn’t know how much longer Lis can hold out. This kind of trauma would kill almost anyone and he’s telling himself he’s prepared to lose her but the reality is that he doesn’t know what he will do if she doesn’t make it.

“Soon, Lis. We’re going to get you help soon.”

In the quiet minutes that follow Kelan can hear Lis’ raspy uneven breathing, a little faster than he thinks it was before. Her eyes are still shut and her expression still slack, but there’s definitely a change in her condition. How he wishes they had monitors in here so he could see what was going on. Not that he’d understand any of the medical gibberish but it would at least give him some peace of mind if he could just kriffing see how she was doing.

The ship is still going smooth, he can only assume they haven’t been followed. They’ll get back home quicker without a pursuit. He’s not sure how far out they are now nor how much time has passed since they drop kicked that speeder into the air; could be several minutes or an hour. Time hasn’t exactly been his priority. _No,_ he thinks to himself, _kicking Pax’s ass to hide your embarrassment was your priority._ He huffs out a humorless chuckle and is met with a static sound in his ears. Oh yeah, the coms.

“How far out are we” he asks through the system. >

It’s the pilot who answers instead of Jaden or Pax, he doesn’t recognize the voice. There’s an accent he can’t quite place but it’s a decidedly male voice. “Ten minutes, sir.” The com crackles off in his helmet and he yanks it from his head. Ten minutes was still too damn long. The static starts up again and he holds the helmet close to his ear. “Pax is on his way back. I told him that wasn’t necessary.” 

Kelan stands abruptly and chucks his helmet towards the doorway with a curse. “ _Haar’chak!_ ” The helmet pings between the doorframe before settling just inside the room, the visor staring like empty eye sockets towards Lis. 

A glint of steel as a hand scoops up the fallen helmet. The owner of the hand steps into the doorway and Kelan is met with the sight of raw steel and blues and a man- no, boy- taller than Kelan himself. When did the kid get so tall? How did he not see this before? 

Pax clears his throat and holds the helmet out towards Kelan, his posture one of deference with his head low. “I think you dropped this, _burc’ya_.” 

It takes everything in Kelan not to snatch the helmet back and use it to beat the younger Mandalorian about the head. He doesn’t stop himself for indulging in the fantasy a little but he does snatch it back, taking a little pride in the flinch Pax exhibits. “Thank you, _burc’ya_.” Friend. Yeah right, not in any reality. 

He can tell Pax caught the sarcasm by the loud modulated sigh he lets out. “Kelan I’m not trying to cling onto you. I’m here to check on Atlis and make sure she’s okay. There’s no one more qualified on this ship to make sure she lasts the next-“ he pauses and brings a hand to rest against his helmet as he presumably checks the time on his HUD, “seven minutes until we get to a proper facility. You’re going to have to deal with me for a little bit. I’ll be out of your hair when she’s better.” 

Kelan is a little taken aback. When did Pax get so mature? Kelan had only been away for two years, surely the kid didn’t grow that much in such a short time. Loathe as he is to admit it, Pax is right. Kelan is going to have to deal with him. “When did you become the Clan medic” he asks instead of firing off another smartass comment. He had a million things he wanted and needed to say but they wouldn’t help Lis. He’d store them up for later and deal with this like Jaden said. 

“About a year ago. The Clan needed an extra set of hands to help with all the wounded and I volunteered.” He rubs hard at the small space between his helmet and backplate. Armor bites or nervous tic, Kelan isn’t sure which it is. “It’s not like I was ever good at being on the field” Pax whispers. Kelan has to strain to hear the words and still he’s unsure he heard that right. It’s true, Pax was never the best fighter but he was certainly passable enough not to die unnecessarily. Someone must have strongly encouraged him to step back. 

Kelan has to grind the next words out from between clenched teeth and a locked throat, “Thank you, then. For looking after Lis and the Clan.” 

Pax’s head whips up and Kelan almost wants to laugh. He can imagine the disbelief on the kids face at hearing those words. “Is she your _riduur_?” 

“Take that kriffing helmet off, Pax. I’m tired of hearing the static when you open your mouth.” 

Pax flinches at the coldness of Kelan’s words but does as he’s asked, bowing to the orders of an elder. The kid looks the same as Kelan remembers, just taller. Those stupid blue eyes, the high cheekbones that had every woman in the Clan fawning over him, and those huge dumb ears that he apparently never grew into. The last bit does cause Kelan to laugh: it’s still the same idiot kid under that armor. “Your ears still make you look like a gundark.” 

Pax lets loose a nervous chuckle and edges his way over to Lis’ cot. He bends down in a creak of leather and metal and sets the helmet on the floor beside him before leaning over the redhead to inspect the bandaging. Blood, but no more than expected. It wasn’t a clean chop if the vibrosword didn’t cauterize the wound as well; they made sure it was as awful as possible. 

He feels a flare of anger towards Clan Corra but he knows it pales in comparison to how Kelan must be feeling. Pax had only met Lis the once when she’d stopped by three years ago to pay Kelan for a job he’d assisted on. He hadn’t exactly found her to be the most endearing person, her personality too much like Kelan’s that it had been off-putting. By then he’d realized Kelan wasn’t overly fond of him and he had been worried that Lis would feel much the same. So he’d said his hello and stayed the hell away from her. Now though he wishes he’d gotten to know her a little more. Seeing her like this didn’t seem right. 

The speaker set into the ship wall crackles to life causing both Pax and Kelan to jump a little. “We’re landing, make sure she’s ready to roll out.” 

Pax snatches his helmet up and onto his head in a smooth movement and catches Kelan mimicking it out of the corner of his eye. Kelan kicks the chair back from the cot so it’s out of the way and moves to the next area to be by the door. First on the ground so he can clear the way. Jaden is already waiting by the door, eyes solemn and posture tense. He gives Kelan a nod in greeting. 

The ship touches down and the two Mandalorians haul the door open before its even finished with its power down. Kelan is out the door first, boots landing heavy and splashing mud up onto his shins. Jaden comes next, followed by Lis back on the stretcher, then Pax. They lower her down gently but too slow for Kelan’s taste. Pax is barely off the ship before Kelan is trying to grab the stretcher and heading off in the direction of the med center. Pax’s hand closes over his gently, the blue of his armor stark against the bareness of Kelan’s hands. “It’s moved since you were here. Please let me take this.” 

Kelan growls at the words and shoves Pax hard in the chest, both men releasing their hold on the stretcher. Jaden has no time to jump in before Kelan has Pax backed against the side of the ship, gauntlet pressed against his throat. “No. She’s my responsibility. You are not swooping in to be a hero again. Not this time.” 

It’s the pilot who pulls them apart and shoves Kelan towards the stretcher. His hand snaps out to the left, finger outstretched. “Go that way. Just…. Go, Kelan. I’ll make sure he stays away but just go and get over yourself.” 

Kelan has only a moment to be shocked before he’s tripping over his feet to get to the stretcher beside Jaden. The older man claps a hand to his back and starts gently guiding him the right way. “Later, vod. Deal with this later. Let’s get her set up.” 

Kelan nods his assent and starts the walk to the center. Head hung low he whispers encouragement to his blacked out friend. “Hold on a little longer, Atlis. We’re here. We’ll fix this.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vod - brother, comrade, "mate", sister  
> Haar'chak! - Damn it!  
> burc'ya - friend (also used ironically)  
> riduur - partner, spouse, husband, wife
> 
>  
> 
> I swear Lis is not going to spend the entire series blacked out. Pinkie promise.


	4. Partners in Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The History of Lis & Kelan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I was gone for awhile there. Anxiety is a real jerk and it killed my writing. This one took a bit to get out, so I hope you guys like it.
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to my friend & beautiful beta RaeTan. She has some awesome GrimmIchi fic going right now that everyone should go read, even if you're not a Bleach fan (I'm totally a Bleach fan now because of her & that fic).
> 
> Everything in block quotes/under the '~*~' in this chapter is a memory of Lis'. I hope I did a good job of breaking it up and making it understandable.

Everywhere was pain. Searing, blinding, pull-you-into-a-blackhole pain; the world tinged in red and black and electricity.

There existed no words to explain the pain, only that it **kriffing hurt.**

It hurt to breathe, to think, to exist.

Was this even existence? Could someone exist with nothing around but emptiness?

Maybe it would be okay to just let go for a while…

### ~*~

> Nar Shadaa.
> 
> A planet run by Hutts and gangsters. Usually, it would be her kind of place but she wasn't here for a job this time. Well okay, she was, but she already had a job. She wasn't here to get a new one.
> 
> She had a meeting she was scheduled to be at and she was running late. Per usual. She had even started getting ready early, but then had slacked off midway through preparations, then gotten distracted reading trashy holo-novels. It wasn't until twenty minutes past her departure time that her droid had beeped out its alarm at finding her half-dressed in the lounge. In her panic at being late she’d thrown down her datapad and it had cracked, so now she'd need to get a new one while she was out. More credits she really didn't want to spend right now. The droid had trilled out its displeasure at having to clean up her newest mess and the whole way down the ramp she’d snarked back at it. Thankfully it was relatively quiet in her area of the port so no one had paid any attention to her bickering with a droid.
> 
> She was so karking late.
> 
> The cantina she had scheduled to meet her new contact in came into view as the taxi pulled into its space and she impatiently thrust her credit chip at the droid driving. It seemed like it took an eternity before the droid handed her back the chip and then she was vaulting over the side of the taxi and running towards the cantina. On Nar Shadaa it was not uncommon to see people running somewhere but she was still drawing glances. With a concentrated effort she slows her pace, her hands balling into fists at her sides as she reigns in her impatience. Her contact was going to be so mad… if they hadn't left already.
> 
> She stops just outside the entrance to straighten her attire. Goggles? Che- no wait, she left those on the ship. Shoes, top, pants? Yep, all on. Com device? She lifts her wrist up to double check the unit on the underside of her gauntlet was flashing and functional. The red light flashes and she smiles. Totally working. She looks back towards the entrance and slaps her cheeks. She could do this, she could totally do this.
> 
> Inside, the cantina is everything she expected. The music was loud but not overly so, the place wasn't too packed, and the lights weren't going crazy. She’d chosen well. Worst-case scenario there were always private rooms but she didn't want to spend credits there if she didn't have to. Cheap, that's what her droid always called her. She preferred the term ’selectively frugal’.
> 
> When she scans the small crowd her contact is easy to spot and it makes her laugh. She had told him to be incognito and he'd chosen to ignore her advice. As a result of it every five seats to his immediate left and right were vacant. His back was to her but with that kind of look, she doesn't need facial recognition to know it's him.
> 
> She strolls over and casually places a hand on his heavily armored shoulder, causing him to jump and spin in his seat, hand reaching for a blaster strapped to his hip. She throws her hands up quickly. ”Whoa there, handsome. It's just me.” She watches him warily as his hand moves away from his weapon and rests on his thigh, his face turning up to look at her.
> 
> ”Do you have a death wish I need to know about?”
> 
> His voice is nothing like she expected. She expected the voice of a youth, not the low grumble that came from a man.
> 
> _ Cute and a hell of a voice. Gonna be hard to keep this guy as a one time partner, Lis. _
> 
> She clears her throat and plasters on what she hopes is a smug smile. It feels like a grimace. ”I, uh…. -I do not. At least not that I'm aware of.” She rubs a hand over her hair before offering it to him. ”Atlis Nivix, at your service.”
> 
> The man smirks and stares down at her hand for a few tense seconds before he takes it in his own. ”Kelan Dorne, Mandalorian for hire.”
> 
> Lis feels the smile on her face turn genuine as her cheeks heat up. ”I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

### ~*~

> ”Come on, Lis. Give me back my helmet.”
> 
> A soft giggle escapes her lips as Lis backs further away, dancing just out of reach of Kelan’s grabbing hands.
> 
> They'd been playing this game of keep-away for well over an hour now; Kelan would pretend he didn't care anymore and would wait for Lis to get bored then he'd try again. The cycle repeated itself until they got to where they were now. Kelan was sounding more aggravated as time wore on and Lis hoped he knew she was only teasing.
> 
> ”Come on, Kelan, I know you're quicker than this. You're a Mandalorian, you're supposed to be this badass warrior.” The way she said ’Mandalorian’ made it sound like she didn't take it seriously, but she did. She knew what it meant to be part of that culture. Everyone knew not to mess with Mandalorians if they wanted to live, however she just couldn't help teasing him, he looked so cute when he got angry.
> 
> Kelan’s face turns an alarming shade of red and quicker than she could move he was lunging towards her. She only had time to take a quick breath to scream before he was on her. His right hand wrapped around her wrist as his left forearm drove into her stomach, doubling her over and down to her knees. He continues the push forward until Lis awkwardly crumpls onto her back, legs bent under her body in a painful position. Out of preservation, her right hand unclenches and Kelan’s helmet begins its descent towards the floor. They can both only watch as it hits, bounces, then rolls onto its side. Kelan winces at the sight and Lis knows she's screwed up now.
> 
> From her awkward position on the floor under him, she starts babbling out an apology. ”I’m so sorry Kelan, I thought could hold onto it. I didn't mean to drop it, I swear. I would never purposely damage your armor. I was just playing around. I'm so sorry, I’ll-”
> 
> Kelan releases her wrist and claps the hand over her mouth. He’d learned early this was the only way to shut her up when she got like this. ”Lis, you’re rambling. Shut up.” He watches her eyes widen then flutter closed, a small moan escaping her mouth. It's then he realizes she's bent awkwardly and he’s pressing his weight on her. He scrambles backward, snatching his helmet in the process. ”Kriff, sorry. Didn't mean to break you.”
> 
> Lis’ legs unfurl in an awkward motion and she lets out a relieved sigh. ”You’re heavy, Dorne” she laughs out.
> 
> He laughs as well and scoots forwards on his hands and knees to offer her a hand. In a move he honestly should have expected, she grabs his hand and yanks him down. He lands beside her in an ungraceful heap and can’t control his laughter as he does so. “You’re so predictable. I honestly don’t understand how you survive on a day to day basis.”
> 
> He doesn’t hear her move as she sits up on an elbow to lean over him, her short curtain of hair falling around her face. “Luck,” her smile transforms from innocent to smug, “and my cute face. I’ve heard it’s really hard to shoot me.”
> 
> Silently Kelan agrees with this, but he’ll never voice it. It’s not that Lis has an ego, she’s too self-conscious for that, but it’s the fact that she’ll get weird if he says it out loud. He’s seen plenty of men compliment her only for her to rebuke them out of awkwardness. He had felt bad for some of them.
> 
> She looks mildly shocked when his free hand reaches up to tangle in her hair, and he can’t help but smile at the small squeak of surprise as he pulls her face down. His lips meet hers in a kiss that’s too short for his liking. Her eyes are as wide as saucers and she’s panting between barely parted lips, a blush high on her cheeks. It all almost makes up for the brief kiss ( _Almost_ ) and it’s a look he hopes he’ll remember forever.
> 
> It’s not in his nature to not meet snark with snark though, so it’s no surprise to them both when his lips tilt into a smirk and he mutters out, “Shut up, Nivix.”

### ~*~

> A planet of Mandalorians was the last place Lis expected to be. She was not equipped to deal with the stress of the environment or the people who inhabited the place. The planet had a wide landscape of environments and Kelan’s Clan lived on the outskirts of a kriffing desert. It was far enough away from other Clans to not be too big of an issue but close enough that help could come if need be.
> 
> She had no clue why these people chose to live this way but she hated it. Backward-ass warrior savages she’d once called them. Kelan had laughed the comment off but had advised her not to repeat it outside the confines of her ship. She had decided that, in the interest of her life, that was probably good advice.
> 
> The compound the Dorne Clan lived in seemed so ordinary compared to what she was expecting. She had assumed it would be tents and shacks, not buildings and houses. She chose not to reveal this surprise to Kelan, lest she be made fun of again. He had a knack for never letting things go.
> 
> The surprise had continued as she’d found her way through the compound in the general direction Kelan had indicated in his message. There were a lot of people milling around and not all of them were in armor. Women, children, older people too. She was surprised to even see some non-humans in the mix. She had more to learn about Mandalorians if she wanted this stuff to not be a surprise in the future.
> 
> As she rounded the corner of a large building she was met with the sight of a fountain in what she assumed was a rough sort of town square. Kelan was walking around the edge of the fountain and a younger boy was admiring him off to the side. Lis only had eyes for Kelan though. In full armor he was somehow graceful. She knew that armor wasn’t light yet he made it seem like it weighed nothing. She bites down on the urge to call out to him and instead backs into the shade of the building, watching the scene unfold before her.
> 
> Kelan had several people around the fountain, each talking to him as he passed by them. He had his helmet off on this rare occasion and a bright smile lit up his face. He looked much younger than the 28 years she knew he was. It was a sight to behold, one she fully planned on teasing him with later.
> 
> The boy off to the side of the fountain finally made his approach and it was like lightning, the expression on Kelan’s face changing in an instant into annoyance. His face twisted in such an angry grimace that she knew it was better to step out and reveal herself before this got bad.
> 
> She clears her throat as she steps into the crude square. ”Hey, Dorne. Long time no see.” Kelan’s head whips in her direction as well as the heads of the others around him. His face relaxes marginally and he hops off the fountain, jogging his way over to her. The boy inches over as well, keeping back but obviously curious. Lis chooses to ignore him for now, she had more important things to attend to.
> 
> She pulls a credit chip from a pocket on her pants and holds it out to Kelan. ”Your share from the last job. I just picked up payment and you were on my way back.” She gives him a cocky grin and pushes a lock of hair from her face. She, of course, had taken most of the payment for herself, but Kelan probably knew that and he didn't seem the type to complain… At least not in front of an audience.
> 
> Kelan’s answering smile puts her on her heels as he snatches the chip from her hand. There was something in that look. ”Don't play coy, Nivix. We both know you came running when I called.” So that was his game. That was the reason for that sparkle in his eyes.
> 
> She reaches up and slaps the side of Kelan’s head, hearing an intake of breath from the boy behind him. Ah, so people weren't used to Kelan being put in his place. She chuckles lightly and folds her arms over her chest. ”Shut up, Mandalorian. You practically begged me to come to see you. It would've been easier to just transfer it. But no, you insisted I come planetside. You even told me where to find you today.”
> 
> Kelan’s face folds into embarrassment before transforming into a bright smile similar to the one held worn only minutes before. ”You got me there.” He laughs as well before swinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his heavily armored side. She winces as her hip digs into his blaster holster. He had definitely done that on purpose. ”While you're here, let me introduce you to some people and show you around.”
> 
> He sounded so sure of himself that she just had to correct him. ”Actually I’m on my way to pick something up, so how about a quick introduction and then I can bolt outta here?”
> 
> He shoots her a good-natured glare but nods his head in assent. ”We can do that.” He swings his arm in an arc from left to right. ”Lis, these are some of my Clanmates. We've got Orion, Eris, Orar, and-”, he pauses and that grimace crosses his face again, ”-Pax.”
> 
> Oh, she had to know the story behind that pause. She slips out from under Kelan’s arm and walks over to the boy indicated as Pax. She may have thrown a little extra hip sway into her walk just for the effect of pissing Kelan off. She stops before Pax and gives him her best smile. ”I’m Atlis, nice to meet you.” The other assembled Mandalorians snicker and she knows this was a good thing to do; Kelan would be getting teased for weeks.
> 
> ”I’m Pax, nice to meet you too” the boy stutters out, face turning a brilliant shade of red. Would his face eventually turn as red as his hair? She had an urge to find out, but maybe not today.
> 
> She reaches out and musses his hair with a soft laugh. ”You're cute. Maybe next time I come back you can show me around? You seem like you'd be a better tour guide than Captain Over-Dramatic back there.”
> 
> Pax chokes on a laugh but offers a meek nod. ”I can- Yes, we can do that.”
> 
> Lis turns on a heel and flicks Kelan on the nose on her way past. ”I gotta get back to the ship. Give me a call when you're up for another job, kay?”
> 
> She doesn't even look back but she can hear the Mandalorians laughing and Kelan’s indignant sputtering. This had definitely been an enlightening trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all for reading! Kudos, comments, etc are all appreciated and make my heart sing.
> 
> You can find me on my new-ish Tumblr as Technoplague <3


	5. Circles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelan is bad at dealing with things. There's some fluff, then some snark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I said, "Hey, what's on your mind?  
> I think about my life without you and I start to cry"  
> And I said, "Hey, it's alright  
> We'll make it  
> I love you and I'll never leave your side"

Lis awoke to a world that was fuzzier and more muted than she remembered. There were lights, but also not lights. Spots of blurry color that her brain subconsciously told her not to stare into. Okay, she could do that.

The air felt thick and warm but her body was producing goosebumps at an alarming rate, or what would have been alarming had she been able to comprehend what was considered alarming. Everything felt thick and warm, not just the air. She was warm- and tingly. That was certainly new. Her limbs were heavy, her chest especially. There was something on her face….

Too much effort to get it off. She would just have to deal with it. It wasn’t hurting anything, was it?

There’s movement in the corner of her eye but she finds she can’t turn her head to see it. That’s okay, it’s probably not important.

What sounds like beeping and muffled noises finally filter through the fog of her brain. What the hell was that noise? Why are the lights so bright?

Tiredly she reaches a hand up to block the light. She’s vaguely surprised when she feels something soft beneath her hand, but the light is at least blocked. Flesh. That’s flesh beneath her hand. Her fingers start grasping and flexing over the flesh softly, feeling the hard bone and cartilage of a nose, the deep sockets of eyes, further down the soft plush of lips. She yanks her hand back (really she just lets it fall back down) and lays it on her chest. The world is still fuzzy.

She opens her mouth to speak but feels a hand pressing against her cheek suddenly. She’d be alarmed if she didn’t almost immediately instinctually recognize the scent. Kelan. He always smelled of leather and something metallic, something she’d never been able to place. That smell was distinctly him though.

_Karking Hell what is wrong with me?_

The hand slips from her face to grasp the one on her chest. Tight, too tight. She must have grimaced or groaned because the pressure loosens up.

Finally, agonizingly slow, the world starts clearing up. Still fuzzy at the edges but more distinct in the center. Yes, that’s definitely Kelan leaning over her with eyes the size of his chest plates and tear tracks disturbing the dirt on his face like some kind of screwed up Clan war paint.

Tear tracks? No, Kelan didn’t cry.

She opens her mouth again and what comes out is a hoarse croak that ends in a coughing fit. Kelan immediately drops her hand and grabs a glass of water from beside the table, tipping it towards her face and pulling the mask ( _Oh that’s what that thing was_ ) from her mouth.. It’s too tiring to try and take it from him so she allows this little bit of babying. She’d use it as blackmail later.

The water, when it finally slides down her dry throat, is almost too much too fast. She barely manages to not cough it all back up. As it is only a little is lost to her next coughing fit and she catches the hint of a smile on Kelan’s lips as he regards her. ”You're so messy, Lis” he murmurs, fondness coloring his voice.

What the hell was going on to make him act like this? Who had died, or almost died? This whole situation was getting weirder as time wore on and her awareness expanded. Kelan had his sappy moments, sure, but this seemed very different.

That thought on her mind she reaches out with her hand and grabs Kelan’s resting on the side bar of her cot, fingers twining together. Her hand is so pale next to his. It always had been but the difference now is almost startling as she stares at the contact point between them. Kelan’s hand is large and tan compared to her small pale one. Where his hand is criss crossed in scars, hers is almost smooth. There’s small scars peppering the top of her hand but they’re inconsequential next to his. Knuckles busted open, dagger slices, imploder burns…. His hand told a story. At least one of those scars was from protecting her.

She looks up into his face, shocked to see tears building up behind those once vibrant green eyes. Their light has dimmed, turning the usual emerald orbs into pools of moss. She couldn’t recall ever seeing her friend look so sad. Kelan was unmoveable, the rock that kept her usual temperamental self in check. He also had no helmet on, which was also unusual. This whole situation was making her more and more uncomfortable.

It’s with great effort that she finally manages to get words through her raw throat. “Kelan-”. His eyes snap from their hands to her face and enlarge. It’s on the tip of his tongue to tell her to stop, she can tell, so she shakes her head to cut him off. “-what happened? Who,” she swallows against the pain building in her throat, grimacing at what feels like a fireball rolling down her esophagus, “-who died?”

Kelan’s face slowly turning pale would have been comical in any other circumstance but it feels like a confirmation of her worst fears in this moment. Something had gone terribly wrong. His fingers tighten in hers minutely and she grimaces. Too tight. She starts pulling her hand back and he holds on tighter, fingers closing together to keep her from slipping away. “Lis… Lis stop it. Stop pulling.” He lets go of their entwined hands and instead snatches her hand in both of his, pulling it against his chest. The cool metal against her warm skin is like ice and she tries pulling away again. Adrenaline is flooding through her veins and making the world crystal clear. The haziness on the edges of her vision are finally bleeding away, instead replaced by a clarity so sharp she wishes she was asleep again so it wasn’t so terrifying. She doesn’t recognize this room but it’s clearly a medical facility. Where the hell was she?

Kelan finally releases her hand and opts to instead grab her face, yanking her face to meet his. She can feel his breath against her lips as their noses brush, his eyes boring into hers with ferocity. “Stop it, Atlis. Stop panicking. That’s not helping anything. You’re gonna end up with the entire karking Clan in here if you don’t settle down” he snaps out. His lips are pulled back in a feral snarl and she notices a look of pure fear in his eyes. Both of their breathing is high, the air between them a mixture of their breaths. They haven’t been this close together in quite awhile.

His fingers press against her temples briefly before they relax. She takes this as a subconscious cue to breathe deeply and the action causes her breath to hitch, a sure sign she’s going to cry. She shuts her eyes quickly and bites down on the inside of her cheek. _Not in front of Kelan._ His warm fingers slip backwards into her short hair and then he’s pulling her face into the unyielding metal of his chest. The metal had felt great against her hand but against her face it’s too much and it breaks the dam holding back her tears. _Why am I crying? What is wrong with me? What’s going on?_

As gentle as he can Kelan wraps his arms around Lis and pulls her closer to the edge of the cot. The tubes going into her body tighten before the machines no longer resist the pull and roll closer to the bed. He winces internally, having forgotten about them in his panic to comfort his friend. He hopes he hasn’t hurt her but if he has she’s given no indication. Her crying doesn't lessen or worsen for several tense seconds and he releases a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. Maybe she was too far into her panic to realize anything outside her own head.

Lis’ hand tightens on the coarse blue blanket covering her legs, knuckles going white as she tightens her grip as much as possible. In her younger days it had always helped her reign in the tears but it’s not something she’s had to do in a long time. A few years back she had done the same thing and Kelan had noticed it. When he had asked what she was doing and she explained through choked sobs he’d promptly slapped the back of her head and yelled at her about potentially hurting herself. The slap had startled her out of her tears and made her release the grip on herself. The only remnants had been the half moon marks left behind on her palm from her nails, deep red marks that had taken a day to clear up. She hadn’t done it since, but now she couldn’t help it. It was almost comforting.

One of Kelan’s hands slides up into her hair again and startles her into releasing her grip on the blanket. “Lis.” His voice is rough as if he’s holding back his own tears. She tilts her head up to look at him and catches only the underside of his chin. Out of need for comfort she buries her face against his neck, her head tucking under his chin. His grip in her hair tightens as he speaks again. “Lis I need you to look at me, but I don’t want to let you go. The choice is yours but I’d really rather just hold you like this.”

She nods as much as she can. “Just tell me what-”, she swallows thickly past the ache in her throat, “-tell me what is going on. Why am I here?”

Kelan’s hold on her body tightens and she struggles to move away only for him to tighten more. “Don’t, Lis. Just stay here please.” She relaxes slightly against him and he loosens his hold with a deep sigh. “You remember being in the warehouse, right?”

“Of course I remember being in the warehouse. We were hiding from Ruusaan.”

It’s Kelan’s turn to nod. “Good, okay. Do you remember surrendering yourself to them in exchange for me getting to live?”

She vaguely remembers this but it’s hazy. “I remember…” She pauses and drags her bottom lip between her teeth. Almost immediately she releases it with a sharp gasp as her teeth dig into a particularly painful spot. “I remember I got punched in the face and thrown on the ground. I remember pain.” Her words end on a whisper and she feels Kelan tense under her. “Kelan stop fidgeting, your armor is digging into me.”

He lets out a sudden soft laugh. “Stop breathing against my neck and we’ll call it a deal.”

Despite the pain and her current situation Lis feels her face flush. She hadn’t even considered their positioning. She tucks her head back down, pressing her face against the cool temperature of his armor. “Deal. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Absentmindedly Kelan’s fingers comb through her short hair, gently tugging out tangles and knots as he catches them. “You handed yourself over to Ruusaan so I could get away. Of course I didn’t go anywhere and I tried to save you. That didn’t work and I got the crap beat out of me. Sheer force of will is keeping me on my feet at this point, I think.” He tilts his face down and presses a quick kiss to the top of her head. ”Can you do me a favor and grab that thing to your right over there?”

”How specific. ’That thing’. That thing could be anything” she mutters as she sits up and reaches out to her right. Rather, as she tries to reach out to her right. There’s a strange feeling to the motion. Had she messed up her shoulder when she’d been thrown to the ground? Kelan’s intake of breath is all she hears as her head swivels to take in that there is no arm, her shoulder hadn’t even moved. A static buzzing fills her ears as she stares at the mess of bandages attached to what’s left of her shoulder. Without turning her head she asks Kelan, “What happened to my arm, Dorne?”

“Ruusaan took it. Actually she left it, but she cut it off as retribution for stealing her speeder.” His fingers trail up her back and rest on the back of her neck. “I was unconscious when it happened. I’m so sorry, Lis.”

So maybe the world wasn’t as clear as it could’ve been. At hearing the words from his mouth the memory slams into her accompanied by a searing pain. Phantom pain, remembered pain from when it had happened. She sucks in a breath between clenched teeth and looks back to Kelan. “How long-,” she breathes in again, “-how long have I been out for?”

There’s no hesitation when he answers. “Five days. You were on a lot of sedatives to keep you out while Pax worked to get the bleeding stopped and got the interface set up. You should be getting the arm within the month. The Clan offered up beskar to get you a strong one built.” He sounds detached from the answer but she knew he had to have had a hand in the Clan’s decision.

That wasn’t her problem right now though. Five days.

“Where’s my ship?”

His head cocks to the side, confusion flitting across his face. “You are not seriously worried about your ship right now. You woke up missing an arm and you’re worried about your ship.” He rubs a hand over his face and groans. “Of course you are, you’re so difficult.” He grabs up the water glass he’d set down earlier and takes a swig, grimacing at the taste. “Your ship is fine. Eris went and brought it to the compound yesterday. She might have screwed with the wiring a little though.”

Lis sighs and finally lays back down in the cot. “How many drugs am I on that I’m not in more pain or freaking out?” She was genuinely curious now, surely she should have been in far more pain.

“Pax lowered the dosage when he realized you were coming to. You were on quite a bit. I figure the pain will hit eventually. I think you’re in shock right now more than anything.” Kelan flops back down into his seat and grabs Lis’ hand in his. “You’ll have an arm again, Lis. I promise. And I’ll be here through all of it. You’re staying on Mandalore until you’re better, you’re staying with me.”

Her voice cracks and is barely above a whisper when she speaks. “Get out, please.”

Kelan looks up at her with something close to disbelief on his face. “I’m sorry, what? Did you just tell me to-”

“Get out? Yes. If I’m going to be seeing you every day for the foreseeable future then I don’t want to see you now. Please just leave. My lack-of-arm hurts and I’d rather be unconscious again. Tell your boyfriend to knock me back out until I either die or this nightmare is over.”

Kelan growls low in his throat, eyes flashing dangerously. “Don’t be a brat, Nivix. Now is not the time to take shit out on me.”

“Is there a button I can hit where he’ll show up and you’ll go away?” She starts slamming her left hand around the side of the cot after snatching it away from him, hoping to find a panic button or any button. “Please leave, Kelan. Please please leave.”

Sadness settles on his features as he gets up from the chair he’d just sat in. His feet drag the floor as he makes his way to the door and he stops at the entry to look back at her. “I’ll be around, call me when you need me.”

She keeps her face turned away from him. “I won’t call.”

His heart twists and his stomach lurches uncomfortably. Okay, she wasn’t doing well. “Okay. Fine. Be a brat. I’ll tell Pax you need him” he snaps angrily at her.

It’s the last words he says to her as he exits and he wishes he had the ability to slam the door, instead it just slowly hisses closed and he’s left slumping against the wall in the hallway. She was awake, that was good. But she was angry and panicking and that was not good. Only time would tell how she would adjust but he didn’t think it was going to be easy. Lis was a fighter but she was also stubborn. _As long as she doesn’t kill herself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title & beginning notes are from a song by Pierce the Veil. It seemed to fit well
> 
>  
> 
> **You can find me on Tumblr now![Technoplague](https://technoplague.tumblr.com/)**


	6. I Knew You Were Trouble

It feels too much like defeat to com the little bastard and admit he needs help. But Lis was being difficult and what was he supposed to do with that? That woman was as stubborn as a tauntaun when she set her mind to it. He spits out a few choice curses before bringing the com to his mouth; better to get those words out now before he spoke to the other man. There’s a brief snap of static before a beep indicates the com was connected. “Lis is awake and being a massive brat.”

Soft laughter emits from the speaker and Kelan finds his hand tightening in a fist around the small cylindrical com device. The voice that follows the laughter is smooth… and slightly mocking. Surely he was imagining that last part? “I’ll be right over to deal with our belligerent patient.”

It takes everything in him not to throw the device against a wall as he snaps out, “Just get over here now before she kills herself.” As soon as the connection shuts off he follows through on the impulse to throw it, watching as it shatters against the white wall opposite him. The multitude of pieces clatter noisily to the floor and scatter in several directions. The petty destruction was not as satisfying as he thought it would have been.

He rakes his hands through his hair and slides to a seat on the floor. His armor pinches uncomfortably as it bunches against itself so he slides his feet out straight in front of him to relieve the worst of the biting pain. Much better. He releases his hold on his hair and chooses to let his hands flop in his lap. Lis had seemed so broken. Her voice had gotten stronger as she’d grown agitated with the situation in there but he had seen that look in her eyes. The moment she had realized she was missing her arm something inside her had snapped. He liked to think he knew her well enough now to notice when something wasn't right. He had only seen that look once before, when he had first met her and she had gotten in a bar fight and been thoroughly beaten. He hadn’t been able to save her then either.

### ~*~

>   
>  Of all the places to meet, she had to choose a cantina. She couldn't have picked a shitty one in the shady areas of Nar Shadaa, no. Of course not. Atlis Nivix had chosen the most upscale one beside the spaceport that she could find. Sure there were nicer ones further into the planet, but she supposedly didn't want to venture far from her ship. Paranoia was a common trait in smugglers and it seemed this girl was no different.
> 
> _I stand out like a sore thumb. Better hurry it up, girly. Sooner or later someone's going to ask questions I don't have answers for and I don't feel like getting a blaster bolt between the eyes._
> 
> A shadow pauses before him and he looks up into the eyes of the bartender, a Rodian who somehow managed to look very impatient all the time. Kelan gives the alien a nod and slides his empty glass back to him. Might as well drink until the girl got here. Checking the chrono built into his gauntlet he sees that she is already five minutes late. He could get well into blitzed territory if he downed a drink for every five minutes she was late, it might help the time pass faster to play a little drinking game.
> 
> The bartender links Kelan’s glass back down before him and he looks up into the green face, an idea circling in his brain. ”Can I start a tab under the name Atlis Nivix? She’s good for it. Her ship is in Aurek-13.” What seems like amusement colors the Rodian’s words and Kelan takes it as an affirmation that the ensuing drinks would be charged to her. Served her right. If she was late she’d have a huge bill, if she wasn't then it wouldn't be too bad.
> 
> He’s three drinks in when the crowd starts clearing a little. Something like that was usually a sign that a fight was about to go down, or that some big name was making an entrance. He makes a mental note to keep track of people entering. But two drinks later and he’s forgotten to do that and it should have come as no surprise when someone snuck up on him.
> 
> He's about to order another drink when a hand descends on his shoulder, causing him to jump. Years of training have him spinning in his chair as his hand reaches for his blaster on instinct. He barely stops himself from unholstering it as he takes in the form of the girl backing up in surrender. Either his contact or some idiot who thought his armor made him a fun guy in the bedroom. _Please be the former._
> 
> ”Whoa there, handsome. It’s just me.”
> 
> Kelan groans under his breath and moves his hand from his blaster, resting it on his thigh plate and relishing the feel of the cool metal under his palm. It always helped ground him. He fixes her with a droll stare and rumbles out, ”Do you have a death wish I need to know about?”
> 
> He watches her eyes widen a fraction before she gets her reaction under control. In his head he’s laughing; he usually gets that reaction when people hear him without the helmet for the first time. The modulator in the helmet deepened his voice a little but not as much as people thought. He didn't sound like Jaden by any means but he definitely didn't match his looks, a fact he'd been told multiple times.
> 
> She struggles to control herself for another beat and clears her throat, some gross approximation of a smile on her face. Newbie. She didn't know how to affect that cock-sure attitude flawlessly yet. ”I, uh… -I do not. At least not that I'm aware of.” She reaches up and rubs a hand over her short red hair. That color was not natural for a human, he was sure of it. She probably spent too many credits keeping that color constant.: frivolous, and it made her stand out. Her hand flashes out before him, offering it up and startling him a little. ”Atlis Nivix, at your service.”
> 
> Kelan answers her grimace with a smirk and stares at her hand for a bit. Best to establish who was in charge here, and it wasn't her. He finally reaches up and takes her hand in his and gives it a little squeeze. ”Kelan Dorne, Mandalorian for hire.”
> 
> It's almost too quick to catch but he notices a small shudder pass over her. Yeah, he was definitely in charge here of she was this easy to rile up. Her lips tug up into a genuine smile and her cheeks flash red. Cute. Her words are smooth as silk when she speaks again, ”I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
> 
> ”I think I can agree with that, Miss Nivix.” He finally turns back around on his seat and signals to the bartender. Over his shoulder he calls back to her, ”Have a seat. Drinks are on me.”
> 
> The smuggler nods, cheeks still bright red, and slides into the seat next to him. Her shoulder brushes his as she settles in and she jerks back at the contact; he hadn't even felt it but her reaction was amusing. She was being very careful not to touch him, going so far as to sit on the edge of her seat to get a little more distance. He wasn’t drunk enough to not give a shit about it… yet. Quick as he can he slips two fingers into her holster belt and tugs her more onto her seat, cackling at the surprised and then angry face she makes. She reaches out and slaps the back of his head and looks vaguely horrified that she had done such a thing. She had fire, he liked that.
> 
> He offers her a smile to ease her nerves. “Good reflexes, I’ll give you that. Here I thought you were too new.”
> 
> She visibly relaxes at hearing his praise and he finds he likes the look of her face when she’s unguarded. She nods and turns her face back to the bar to order a drink. Kelan stifles a laugh at knowing it would be under her tab anyways.
> 
> Two standard hours later Atlis is visibly on her way to drunk and Kelan is way past the point of getting to his own ship without assistance. Which suits him just fine, he’s sure he can convince her to share a bunk for the night. _No, idiot, you are drunk. You absolutely can not get it up when you’re this plastered._ Okay, so his rational brain was still working. That’s good news.
> 
> Atlis’ head suddenly drops over on his shoulder and he looks down at her from the corner of his eye. She apparently doesn’t handle alcohol well. When she notices his staring she lets out a little giggle. “Come on, you can stay on my ship tonight. I’ll get the droid to make up a bunk for you.” She staggers onto her feet, using the bar to keep herself upright.
> 
> Kelan snorts out a laugh. “Are you sure you can even make it back to your ship? We could always stay in one of the rooms here.”
> 
> Her head snaps to him so quick he’s surprised she doesn’t fall down dizzy from it. Her voice is cold yet slurred when she speaks, “You might be cute but you are not drunken decision cute.”
> 
> Kelan slaps a hand over the chest diamond on his armor, the ‘iron heart’ of Mandalorians. “You wound me.”
> 
> She scoffs and pushes off the bar, staggering her way towards the door. “You wound yourself, Mandalorian. Now follow me. See-Six will have a bunk for you, or you can sleep on the floor.”
> 
> Kelan winks drunkenly at the Rodian bartender who had been watching the exchange and gets up to follow the red head. She’s leaning against the wall by the exit, speaking into the com on her gauntlet. He’s too far away to hear her but he’s sure she’s probably talking to her droid. Fine, he’d sleep in a bunk. He’d slept in worse places.
> 
> At first he doesn’t even notice the three men who sidle up to Atlis, surrounding her tightly. When he does she has an uncomfortable look on her face but otherwise appears fine. He watches her mouth form what he is sure is some impolite talk, and then it happens too fast for his whiskey-addled brain to get the signal to his limbs to pull his guns.
> 
> The man to her right has a hand around her throat as the man on her left starts stripping her of her holster belt, probably in an attempt to find her credit chips. Shit, not good. Kelan starts groping sloppily for his blasters and manages to pull one out and get it aimed. His first shot goes wide and he curses, trying to steady his damn drunken eyesight. His second shot is better, hitting one of her captors in the leg. However he hadn’t thought through what would happen if he actually managed to hit someone, and he was now regretting that as a very large man stalked his way over to him. Kelan knew if he was sober this wouldn’t be as bad of a match up, as even drunk Mandalorians were still fighters, but drunk people didn’t have the same reflexes.
> 
> Before he can fire another shot the man is on him, flattening him to the ground and a hand immediately going to the throat. Through the choking he manages to gasp out “What is it with you people and going for the throat?” The man smiles and applies a little more pressure. “Stay down, Mandalorian. This is not your fight. Black Sun’s got an issue with the little lady doing runs on their turf.”
> 
> Kelan grabs feebly at the man’s hand, trying to get enough leverage to push him off. Amid the struggles the man puts a knee down on his stomach, albeit lightly. He would get hell if his Clan mates knew he was taken down this easy, even drunk. He manages to twist his head some to try and get a look at Atlis, but all he sees is a cleared out bar and her belt tossed to the side. If he strains, he can hear the faint sounds of a fight over the music. He hoped she was holding her own but he didn’t think she was, she was fairly drunk too.
> 
> They must have known she’d be here tonight and that’s why the bar had started clearing out earlier. They were waiting for her. Which begged the question of how they knew where she would be. Maybe he would ask her that later. And then maybe he would also ask for her forgiveness in not noticing something was wrong earlier. He wasn’t a bodyguard for her but as the bigger person, and the one he presumed had only experience in brawls, he should have kept an eye out. After all, without her there was no job and no payday.
> 
> A high-pitched whistle cuts through the noise and the man on Kelan gets up. “Tend to your woman, tell her to be smart. We went easy this time because it was a first offense. Next time it gets uglier.” Kelan watches the lumbering giant walk away and he has a brief thought of _That guy isn’t all human, can’t be_ before he’s trying to sit up and locate the smuggler. When he sees her she’s sitting against the wall with her knees tucked to her chest, her lip split open and her eye swollen shut. That… that was not good.
> 
> __
> 
> __
> 
> He gets up the best he can without falling over and stumbles his way to her. When he makes it he leans heavily against the wall beside her and offers her a hand. “Grab your belt and let’s go. We need to get out of here before they come back.”
> 
> The response from her is not what he expected; she slaps his hand away but does grab her belt, sliding up the wall to a standing position. “I should fire you. You’re the worst Mandalorian ever.”
> 
> Kelan winces at the tone and her words but right now he does agree with her. He hadn’t been able to protect her because he’d gotten so drunk and let his guard down. Well, never again… assuming she hired him for more jobs after this spectacular disaster. He may not know this girl well but he did not like seeing her hurt regardless. He’ll help doctor her up back at the ship if she’ll let him.
> 
> He totters off after her in the direction of the taxis, using every ounce of willpower to stay on his feet and not sway. Kriff he was so drunk. When they finally manage to get a taxi Kelan all but falls in on top of Atlis and she shoves him to the other side, an over dramatic pout on her lips. He can’t help the giggle that escapes as he watches blood trickle down her oversized lip. Sensing his amusement Atlis reaches over and slugs him in the arm, just under his shoulder plate. Little girl could throw a punch, but he’d had worse. Just for show and to cheer her up he rubs at the spot on his arm and winces, making a show of shying further against the other side of the taxi.
> 
> Atlis, however, sees right through this and rolls her one open eye. “Like that really hurt.”
> 
> Minutes later the taxi docks and the girl is leaning over the seats to hurry the taxi driver up with charging her chip. She’d apparently managed to keep one hidden. _Good on her_ , Kelan thinks to himself. As she’s paying he unloads himself from the vehicle and leans against a nearby light pole, the world swaying dangerously around him. Decision made: no more heavy drinking, this sucked.
> 
> His eyes follow Atlis as she climbs from the taxi and- is she swaying her hips? Oh hell no. Yep, she definitely is. _Damn woman._ He stumble-jogs after her retreating form and wraps his arm through hers, giving her a cocky grin when she shoots him a nasty look. “Don’t want to be touched, don’t shake your ass at me. I may not be drunken-decision cute but you’re making one hell of a show despite it.”
> 
> She bares her teeth at him and he laughs; there’s blood coating her teeth. With a huff she doubles her efforts on dragging him to her docked ship... in Aurek-13. She was going to be so mad when she woke up to that bar charge, but he would deal with that later. That was future-Kelan’s problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I was not listening to the T-Swift version of this song
> 
> I am rubbish at writing fight scenes, if you haven't been able to tell by now. I am working on them.


	7. King For A Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lis learns a horrible truth about the five days she was out of commission. Meanwhile, Pax gains a little confidence and Kelan grows up. The world goes to hell in a handbasket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, won't you push me for the last time  
> Let's scream until there's nothing left  
> So sick of playing, I don't want this anymore  
> The thought of you's no fucking fun  
> You want a martyr, I'll be one  
> Because enough's enough, we're done

“He’s just asleep on the floor out there?”

Pax smiles good-naturedly and nods in answer to the question. “Yep, walked over his big dumb feet on the way in here.”

Lis huffs out an approximation of a laugh, focusing her eyes towards the door her long-time friend had left through earlier. He must have been exhausted to pass out like that in a hallway where people were bound to pass by him.

A sharp pain shoots through her shoulder, breaking through the haze of painkillers pumping into her body. She bites her lip and squeezes her eyes shut against the prickles shooting through her body. When would it stop hurting so much? This was almost unbearable.

Noticing her discomfort Pax rests a hand on her back after setting down a needle. He rubs small circles across her shoulder blades and smiles as Lis sinks against the comforting warmth. Pax may not have been a full-fledged Doctor but he was doing a damn good job of keeping her going until one could get there.

“Can I ask you something?”

Pax’s eyes snap up to meet Lis’ warm brown pair, reading the fear she was trying to bury. When he’d met her the once he didn’t think she was the type who could ever be scared. She’d seemed so much larger than life, so full of herself. Hard to imagine this was the same woman who’d blatantly teased him to get a rise out of Kelan.

He gives her a smile and a nod, keeping his hand rubbing her back while his other hand holds onto the rail on her bed. He had a feeling he knew what she would ask and he didn’t know if he was ready to answer.

Lis takes a deep breath in, shoring up her courage to ask; “How bad was I? Kelan, he- He made it seem like I was on the brink of death and that doesn’t seem right. It’s been five days and while I’m not at top form I don’t think I’m that bad.”

That was exactly what Pax had thought she’d ask. He sighs and removes his hand off her back, stepping back to grab his datapad from a chair. The room is silent for several minutes while he sorts through the data, trying to find the easiest bit to pass on to her. By the sounds emanating from the bed he’s guessing that Lis is fidgeting around, not liking how quiet he is.

Finally he finds what he’s looking for and flips the pad around to hand to her. She stares at it with wide eyes until he shakes it at her, urging her to take it. Quickly she reaches out with her left hand and cradles the hunk of metal and plastic as if it’s a precious gem, doing her best to hold it without the other hand. On the screen is her, from several days ago, suspended in a bacta tank and hooked to several wires. The sight is…. unnerving. It’s hard to believe that's her in that goop but, the evidence is right in front of her. Pax reaches over the screen and taps a button near the bottom, causing a video to start playing. In it, she can see Pax off to the side of the tank, monitoring a read out and taking notes. Kelan is off on the other side, forehead pressed against the front of the tank. It’s him she stares at; every few seconds his body is shaking. She would almost believe the video was malfunctioning if it wasn’t for Kelan suddenly reaching up and pounding a fist against the tank. Pax jumps on the other side and glances over to Kelan, a frightened look on his face. She sees Pax set down the datapad in his hands and move to stand by Kelan, tentatively reaching out towards the man.

It’s then that Pax snatches the datapad out of Lis’ hand and stops the playback. When she looks up at him questioningly he clears his throat and looks away, a blush forming on his pale cheeks. That’s fine, she wouldn’t pry. “So how long was I in the tank?”

Turning his back to her Pax sets the datapad down. He doesn’t want to face her but he’ll have to, she has questions. The bacta tank was for extreme cases and no one ever did okay after knowing they were in one, nobody ever seemed to enjoy seeing themselves in one. But he can’t avoid her forever.

Instead of facing her like he should do, he speaks over his shoulder at her, his voice just above a whisper. “You were in that tank from the minute we touched down till probably only an hour before you woke up.” Here he pauses and inhales deeply. “You almost died, Atlis. Kelan was a wreck. He was sobbing for hours every day and no one could get him to leave you. He was so afraid that if you died he wouldn’t be there. He couldn’t let you die alone.” Pax pushes a hand through his copper hair and turns to face her.

He’s not prepared for the look of abject horror on her face, even less prepared to see her lower lip quivering. He rushes to her side and grabs her face in both hands, tilting her eyes up to meet his own. _So unprofessional, Pax._ “It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay now. We’ll have a real doctor here soon and he’ll get you set up for a cybernetic.” This doesn’t seem to calm her and he finds his own anxiety spiking as her eyes actually water and spill down her cheeks. _Kriff, kriff, karking kriff._ “No no no, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Kelan told you about how the Clan is giving besker to get you a new arm, yeah? It’s going to be better than a regular arm.” His attempt to placate her does nothing but cause more tears to roll down her cheeks, and then she’s burying her face against his chest.

Pax is almost certain he feels his brain short-circuiting from this turn of events. How does someone deal with this scenario? He has no frame of reference for dealing with weepy females who are best friends-probably lovers with the guy who would see him gutted. He’s dealt with bandaging women in the field, or being there as they passed, but never ones that have straight up cried on him. Her short nails are curled into the fabric of his shirt and he can feel the dampness already spreading through the fabric around her eyes. This was… nothing short of very awkward. He’s thankful her face is hidden as he grimaces and rubs circles on her back with one hand, the other cradling the back of her head.

He lets her cry and wail against his chest, murmuring “It’s okay” over and over when it seems appropriate. Finally ( _Kriffing finally_ ) she seems to calm down some and her hand unclenches from his shirt. He casts his eyes down and watches her hand fall limply to her lap. When her breathing seems to hitch he becomes concerned and pushes her back, holding her at arm's length. She’s alive and smiling, but the smile is frail and looks like it’s taking every ounce of energy she has.

“Sorry I ruined your shirt. Thank you for letting me get that out” she rasps out.

She looks so sweet and sad with that expression, every bit a broken woman. It’s some long buried instinct that takes over when he leans forward and presses his lips to her forehead, some instinct to protect this fragile lady before him. He pulls away almost immediately with eyes wide and face paling and he notices Lis’ eyes are as round as his. Immediately he jumps back to put space between them and crashes into a cart behind him, sending tools scattering about and knocking the whole damn thing over.

A loud curse is the only warning he gets before there’s a hulking mass of green and silver filling his vision and he’s being dragged by the collar out of the room. He struggles to keep his feet under him and wraps his hands around Kelan’s arm to help with balance as he stumbles after the angry Mandalorian.

He only wished he knew why the man was so angry. Had he seen him kiss Atlis? But why would that make him angry? It was innocent, it had been nothing and both participants had not been happy about it. Maybe Kelan was just ridiculously possessive which to Pax seemed utterly ridiculous.

Being slammed against the wall just outside the room jogs Pax from his thoughts and he can hear Atlis cursing up a storm inside; he’s vaguely impressed to hear it’s mostly in Mandalorian. Kelan must have been teaching her some words but probably only the rude ones, that would be so like him. A quick violent shake has him jerking his gaze to meet the fiery stare of the older man whose hand was still roughly twisted in his shirt. Pax moves his hands past Kelan’s gauntlet and digs his thumbs into his inner elbow roughly, causing Kelan to release him and snatch the arm back. He may not be the warrior Kelan was but damned if he didn’t know a few moves to get someone off his neck. He tugs at the bottom of his shirt to straighten it then folds his arms across his chest. If he stood up straight he was every bit as tall as Kelan, but much leaner. He wondered if that would intimidate the other man even a little into keeping his hands to himself. He wasn’t a kid anymore, Kelan couldn’t rough him up the same nowadays.

He all but leaps out of his skin as Kelan slams his hands against the wall by his head, pinning him in place with a glare, eyes burning bright and angry.

“What the kriff was going on in there, Thano? You’re supposed to be taking care of her, not using this as an excuse to get laid” Kelan snarls out. His teeth clench and he breathes in hard through his nose, trying to reign himself in before he put the younger man through a wall.

Pax takes his own steadying breath in and screws his eyes shut, trying to reign in his emotions before he either started yelling back or cowering; he wasn’t sure which he was feeling more like at the moment. What was alarming was the use of his surname, a sure sign Kelan was trying to put him in place and remind him who was the better of the pair. Joke was on him, though; Pax didn’t need a reminder that Dorne was the head Clan and Thano was just allied with them under one House. He opens his eyes slowly and steels himself, forcing himself to meet Kelan’s angry green stare head-on. “What happened in there was a mistake and nothing was meant by it. Atlis is my patient for the time being and I will continue to treat her as such.” He speaks slowly and concisely, as one would talk to a scared child or a spooked animal. He can tell when Kelan comes to the same conclusion, the fire in his eyes blazing brighter. Pax can’t help but needle him a little, although he wishes afterwards that he had better control over his mouth. “Atlis doesn’t belong to you anyways, you should stop being so overprotective.” His voice is low but carries a sarcastic lilt that was unmistakable.

Kelan’s brain blanks momentarily as he tries to comprehend the words the other man had just said. Atlis doesn’t- No of course she didn’t belong to him, she was her own person. Kelan was her best friend, her ally, he was only trying to protect her. With a snarl he smacks his hands against the wall again, internally smirking as Pax once again flinches. “You don’t kriffing touch her, got it? You do the bare minimum until a real doctor gets here to attach the arm. I will be there every step of the way, you are not to be alone with her.” He finally removes his arms and stands up to his full height, hoping to intimidate the younger man. He notices a slight flush on Pax’s cheeks as he stares down at him and wonders briefly if the boy was actually enraged, he’d never seen this look on his face. It was a nice contrast to that fiery red hair of his and the color showed so well on his pale complexion; a complexion that wasn’t too common within the Dorne compound.

As if sensing Kelan’s train of thought Pax looks away and shoulders his way past the imposing figure before him. “Stop looking at me like that.” He turns around to face Kelan again, arms still tightly crossed over his chest as he slowly backs his way towards Atlis’ room again. “She’s my patient while she’s on the base-“, he shrugs his shoulders and offers his companion a tight-lipped smile, “-and I’m pretty sure she said she didn’t want to see you.”

That’s all it takes to trigger Kelan’s short fuse and in two steps he’s on the other man, hand balled in his shirt again as the other palms his face. He keeps the forward momentum going and steers Pax against another wall, shoving the back of his head against it with added force. The effect is immediate with Pax swinging out blindly and connecting a fist to Kelan’s side right where the armor doesn’t meet up. Kelan lets go of his face to pull back for a punch and Pax quickly evades, dropping his weight as best he can to throw Kelan off balance and dodging to the side. Kelan releases his shirt in an effort to grab him again and curses loudly as Pax drops into a roll and takes off down the hallway behind him.

He has only the briefest hesitation before he gives chase. If he had to hazard a guess he would assume the redhead was headed towards his blaster, that’s what Kelan would do in this situation, but he’s surprised when he notices the man dashing out a door towards the main square. _What in the karking hells are you doing, Thano?_ The thought briefly flashes through his head as his body goes on auto-pilot in preparation of a fight; feet slowing from a run to a silent walk, head on a swivel in case of an ambush. He didn’t think Pax would stage an ambush, it wasn’t the kid’s style, but it had been so long since he’d fought alongside him that he didn’t know anymore. It wouldn’t be the first time today he had been surprised by the changes in the redhead. Like; since when did Pax get mouthy to him? Up until the time he’d left to travel with Lis he’d been scared of him, or at least actively avoided confrontation. Now it seemed like the man was trying to pick fights.

His feet hit dirt outside the medcenter and he spots Pax up ahead, sitting on the edge of the fountain; the same one Kelan used to hang around and the same one Lis had visited. He hadn’t realized how far in they’d moved the medcenter since he’d been gone. The Clan had moved forward without him. That realization stung but only fueled his desire to show Pax he was still on top.

The younger man’s head snaps up at the sound of booted feet before him, eyes raking over Kelan’s armored form as he scans him from toe to head. He could’ve sworn he saw a shiver pass through Kelan but that couldn’t be true; he was probably just amped up, the man always wanted to fight. He’d probably fight himself if he could figure out how.

Pax stands from his position and stretches his arms above his head, reveling in the feel of the muscles in his back and arms pulling taut before relaxing.

“I’m assuming you would prefer to get this over with out here,” he remarks, gesturing widely to the open space around them. At Kelan’s nod, he hangs his head and hooks his thumbs into the waist of his pants. “Honestly I’d prefer we didn’t have to do this at all but-“

Kelan has a split second to look confused at the trail-off before Pax swings a fist up and into his side, right between his ab plate and back plate. Of course, the little shit knew exactly where to hit. His breath whooshes out in one big huff and he makes a grab for the slimmer male, catching him by the arm as he makes a dodge to get out of range. _This would be so much easier if I wasn’t in armor._

Pax breaks the hold fairly easy and skips sideways out of reach, taking advantage of Kelan’s momentary surprise to put distance between them. “We both know I’m not a match for you, Dorne. Why are you being like this?” His eyes flash in amusement and his voice dips low as he taunts, ”Why am I such a threat to you?”

Kelan’s face flashes furiously as he lunges towards the other man, taking him down in a tangle of limbs and curses. Pax goes down easily in his surprise, landing hard under Kelan’s weight and grunting from the impact. The two men grapple for the top, landing several hits on each other in the process.

Pax’s lip splits open on a particularly hard punch to the face and blood drops, spattering Kelan’s fist and face as they roll. Kelan finally gets the upper hand and rains blows on Pax’s body as he pins his arms down with his knees. He knew he wasn’t particularly light, especially in armor, but Pax seemed to be having a hard time handling Kelan atop him; the boy’s face was red and he had a panicked look in his eyes.

It’s that look that halts Kelan’s fists, the wild rage chilling to confusion. Pax looked absolutely terrified underneath him and Kelan found he couldn’t stay furious with that look on the redhead’s face. It was awful and heartbreaking for some reason, a reason he didn’t have words for. It made his stomach clench and douse the flames of his irrational rage. What was it Pax had said; _Why am I such a threat to you?_ Thinking back on it, Kelan hadn't heard the words at the time. All he had known was that Pax did not have the right to be there with Lis, to be holding her like that and comforting her. That was HIS job and he wasn't going to let Pax swoop in and steal someone else from him. The boy had everyone in the Clan wrapped around his finger and it was like Kelan was the only one who saw through it. It infuriated him that everyone fell for him. But here he was, Pax underneath him and bleeding, and he was falling like everyone else. Maybe it was the way those blue eyes showed every single emotion or the young face that made him look so damned innocent. Or maybe Kelan was actually seeing himself for the first time and realizing it was stupid petty jealousy that was fueling his anger. He had no right to be acting this way. Lis wasn't his, and Pax hadn't done anything wrong... Ever. The thought strikes like lightning, making him tighten up and sit up straight. Why then had he always taken his aggression out on this kid?

Pax takes notice of the change in Kelan’s demeanor and he relaxes somewhat, his muscles unwinding and his struggling stopping. He had known he was no match for Kelan’s fury but he hadn’t expected to be so freaked out by the murderous look in the other man’s eyes. In the back of his mind there’d been the thought that given the chance, this chance, Kelan would have ended him. Something had stopped him though and Pax was grateful for whatever it was, but he would analyze it later when he wasn’t pinned between the other man’s thighs.

He clears his throat, trying to draw Kelan’s attention back to their current predicament; namely Pax being pinned under him uncomfortably. He’s rewarded for his efforts when Kelan looks down at him, seeming to remember what was happening. Pax gives him a stiff, broken lipped grin. “You uh- You spaced out there for a second. Can you let me up or finish kicking my ass, please?”

Kelan is silent for several heartbeats, an eternity in Pax’s mind, before he suddenly bursts into laughter. His face turns crimson and tears gather in his eyes from the force of it and his hands drop to rest on Pax’s shoulders, dropping more weight onto the slighter framed man. He can’t stop the laughter bubbling forth, the whole situation seeming more absurd as time wears on. Five minutes ago he was ready to rip his Clan mates’ arms off his body and use them as weapons, but now he can’t remember where that fury even emanated from. He felt completely ridiculous now.

Regaining his composure he stands up from his position over Pax, knees cracking and protesting the movement. He takes a second to readjust his flightsuit and armor before reaching a hand out to Pax still on the ground. The boy’s eyes widen marginally as they trace a path from the outstretched hand to Kelan’s still smiling and blood splattered face but ultimately he accepts the proffered appendage and uses it to haul himself to his feet. The two men are left staring at each other, taking each other’s measure and both still a little wary. Pax wasn’t sure if Kelan would jump him again. Against his better judgement, he reaches up and wipes a particularly large spot of blood from Kelan’s cheek. The other man winces and jerks his head away, leaving Pax to snatch his hand back and mentally scold himself for such a stupid movement. His cheeks flush red as he stuffs his hand in a pocket on his pants. “We should get you bandaged up back at the med center” he murmurs, already making to move past Kelan.

Kelan reaches out and grabs at Pax’s elbow, pulling him gently to a halt. He turns back to him and glances nervously down at the hand before looking back up into Kelan’s deep green eyes. Kelan gives him a tight lipped smile and releases his arm, his voice almost a whisper as he speaks, “Can we not let Lis know about this? Even with one arm and the shape she’s in I really think she’d beat the crap out of us.”

Pax nods with a grin, the smile widening as he hears Kelan’s soft answering chuckle. He’d wonder later why the noise made his stomach clench, right now they needed to get patched up before anyone saw. “I had no intention of telling her. I’m probably in enough trouble with her as it is and I-”

Kelan looks confused for a second as Pax trails off. The man looked both confused and alarmed suddenly, eyes unfocused and head cocked as if listening for something. Kelan hears it at the exact time that Pax makes eye contact; an incoming ship. Both men knew it wasn’t theirs.  
Suddenly Pax is pushing Kelan in the direction of the medcenter and screaming, but Kelan doesn’t understand any of it. All he hears is the static in his head and the single-minded chant of ‘Get to Lis, get back to Lis’.

He makes it halfway back when the first imploder drops in the distance. He’s almost there when the second and third drop, and he’s at the doors when he screaming starts. He pauses at the open doors to look back for Pax but the redhead is nowhere in sight. This causes a whole new wave of static to fill his brain as he chooses between getting to Lis and finding his Clan mate. Pax wasn’t armed. Pax was a medic, not a fighter. He shouldn’t be out there alone.

With a curse he slams an old code into the keypad by the doors, praying it still works and locks the doors, as he takes off back towards the fountain in the square. 

He spots the familiar shock of hair in the distance… and then nothing as the world explodes before him in debris and dirt. He’s thrown backward from the force and smacks his head on the edge of the fountain. His last thought before he blacks out is that he should’ve worn his helmet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thank to my beta [RaeTan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeTan), who left amazing commentary as she read through such as; (my personal favorite) "UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" and "FOR FUCKS SAKES KELAN!"
> 
> as always, you can find me on Tumblr; [Technoplague](https://technoplague.tumblr.com/)


	8. Time-Bomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corra crosses the line into total extermination meanwhile Pax sets about a plan to save as much of his Clan as he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, this was a hard one. Many thanks to [Rae-Tan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeTan) for going over this for me and screaming with me at parts.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy.

Pax could not believe that his dumb ass had run off towards the drop ship. He'd been mentally screaming at himself the entire run over but his feet hadn't stopped; instinct had taken over, years of training kicking in and turning him into a warrior. It hadn't even occurred to him that he was running in unarmed. He was a Mandalorian, he could make a weapon out of himself if he had to.

In all his years he'd only gone into a fight weaponless a handful of times, and every time had not ended well. He'd survived, obviously, but not without injury. It was what had led him to be a medic several years ago. He just didn't always think things through when he got on the field and it made him a liability. The Clan’s matriarch, Kelan’s own mother, had pulled him roughly aside after a mission and given him such a dressing down. His courage was ’admirable but also dumb’, if he remembered her words correctly. They had worked out a plan to get him off the field but still be useful and he’d found he out he actually enjoyed attending to the wounded. Life was much nicer when he wasn't being shot at… Or at least shot at by the enemy. Plenty of his own Clanmates had shot at him but that was almost expected; Mandalorians were rambunctious.

The site that greets him when he finally makes it to the explosions is jarring; bodies strewn across a field, buildings on fire, and plenty of armored people who he didn't recognize; their armor colors were all wrong. He could see others in the traditional blues and greens of Dorne and Thano as well as the pure silver of Jaden’s own small group but they were outnumbered heavily, there was no way they'd hold Corra off without heavy casualties.

He bolts before he can think, scooping up a blaster from a fallen comrade as he dodges his way to Jaden. He was the easiest to spot on the field and the only one behind cover, a smart tactician who knew when it was best to lay low.

As he skids to a halt beside the larger man he's met with a cross glare, the mechanical eye making it all the more unnerving. Pax does his best to repress the shudder that wants to pulse through him at the eye; it always freaked him out to have that thing staring at him, but he knows he’s failed to hide it completely when Jaden’s eyes narrow and his lip twists in a sneer.

“There’s blood everywhere, and you’re wigging out about the eye”, Jaden scoffs. He shakes his head and turns his attention back to the battlefield that was once their compound, their home. “You seem a little light on supplies, and you’re roughed up already. Are there more further in?”

Pax’s face screws up in confusion and he casts a glance to the Mandalorians around Jaden, hoping they could clear it up. A female, judging by the armor style, reaches out and pokes Pax right on his split lip causing him to wince and jump back. His lip was bleeding? _Oh!_ How had he already forgotten he and Kelan had gotten into it? He blushes as he reaches up to wipe the blood from his face, smearing it instead across the back of his hand. Gross.

Instead of answering Jaden he moves to stand beside him, watching his Clan mates run out to beat back Clan Corra. They would not be able to last long like this, they were unprepared and their fighters weren’t going to get over here in time. It was a medic’s worst nightmare out there, so many bleeding or dying and he couldn’t get out there to help. He had never felt so useless before. This was looking to be a slaughter.

”All of this for a karking speeder,” he asks, more to himself than anyone else.

Jaden chooses to take the question as being directed towards him, answering with a shoulder shrug and a growl of ”Must’ve been one heck of a speeder, or maybe Kelan’s little cyar’ika pissed in her whiskey.” The gathered Mandalorians collectively laugh but it's more of a grim sound and sounds eerie through their helmet’s modulators; it sounds like death on their doorstep.

Another explosion rocks the ground, closer to their location this time. Pax internally winces and starts looking around, trying to think of a plan. It hits him suddenly. He grabs Jaden’s shoulder and pulls the man to get his attention. ”We need our own explosives. We can draw their fire elsewhere and run the wounded back to the medcenter's shuttles and get them away from here.” Jaden narrows his eyes again, apparently the man’s favorite expression when it came to looking at Pax, but nods in assent. Pax almost grins from the approval, almost. The situation was too dire for any form of cheer. Maybe later he’d celebrate not being a burden to a team.

Spinning back around he takes in the sight of the group surrounding him. Setting the blaster down he claps his hands and then holds them out flat before him. ”Who are our explosive ordnance members? Where are our boomies?” Boomies; the nickname was given to the explosive ordnance division members, people like Kelan who thrived on carrying bombs, imploders, and detonators on their person and usually cackled maniacally when they got to use them. He'd seen the damage those nutjobs could do when given free range and they needed that kind of advantage right now.

Fifteen of the thirty gathered raise their hands and Pax shoots a startled look to Jaden who is smiling like it's Life Day. Coupled with the eye and the scar it was a...gruesome sight. He honestly could go without seeing that again in his entire life and be okay, it was downright disturbing to see that evil look on the old man’s face. ”Do I- do I even want to know why there are so many boomies in your squad? I feel like I should be more uneasy about this than I currently am.” The fifteen hand-raisers all start laughing and high fiving each other as Pax rethinks his plan. He hadn't expected to have that many of them in this one area, this could actually end up badly.

The female who had poked him earlier clears her throat and waves a hand to get his attention. Pax turns to face her, noticing she was one who had raised her hand. Her body was covered in straps holding all kinds of things he didn’t even recognize, no doubt she was in charge of this rowdy bunch if she was carrying that much. “I can take charge here, split us up and cause a diversion” she remarks. He’s impressed that she could sense what his issue was, maybe his opinion of the Ordnance members was wrong; maybe they weren’t explosive-happy nutjobs. Or at least this woman wasn’t. 

He gives her a stiff nod, already turning his attention back to the field where some of Corra’s people were huddled together no doubt discussing their own strategy. ”Get it done. Now. I need at least two other people with me to help move any survivors though.”

Jaden claps him on the shoulder and points out two in the crowd. ”Those two. They've got minimal training towards being a medic, they'll know who's worth grabbing and who we can’t save.” At Pax’s look of horror, Jaden claps a dusty gloved hand over his mouth and points a finger in his face. ”You listen here, _verd’ika_. We can not save everyone. We are Mandalorian, we know what this life is. Now you need to shape up and realize that you can only grab who is saveable. Mourn the lost later, save our Clan now.”

 

_Mourn the lost later, save our Clan now._

Those words were on repeat as he and his two new accomplices dashed around the field, from body to body. From the looks of it there were very few to save and it was making Pax’s heart sink as well as his stomach. He can hear blaster fire and explosions close by and he knows they're out of time. Anyone else out here would have to save themselves.

With a shout, he calls the two others to follow him and almost laughs as they trip over each other to get to him as quick as possible. Instead, he rolls his eyes and starts the trek to the area they'd been hauling the wounded. Overall, fifty people had been hauled away either by the impromptu medic team or by others who could walk better. It wasn't many but it was better than less or none. He just had to keep telling himself that.

He stops on the outskirts of the area and waits for the others to catch up before barking out instructions. ”Get these people to the medcenter. We can lock the front down as we start evacuating out the back. Hopefully the ordnance team can keep them off our backs long enough to get everyone out.”

He doesn't wait for an answer before grabbing up the nearest people, thankfully a pair that aren't too bad off and are able to walk. Pax’s quick guess is just that they were tossed by a blast or got hit by debris, he doesn't see any external injuries from a quick assessment. He calls out to the masses as he walks off with his charges, ”Walk if you can, help those who can’t or let us know who needs help. Get to the medcenter.”

With his Clan mates limping along beside him, he finally starts making his way back. The pair, he learns, were headed towards the mess hall when the blasts struck. They had both run for cover but been caught in the crossfire of their own people. The resulting blast from an imploder had sent them sprawling and they'd both wisely chosen to stay down as Corra made their rounds and shot people at random, dead or alive. These two had been very lucky. In the immediate area that Pax had found them there had only been three other survivors, everyone else had been dead or well past help. Those ones that were alive but beyond his help had made him sick and had had to stop himself from breaking down on the spot. He had always had a weakness for people and it usually didn't interfere with his job but he hadn't been mentally prepared for this. Corra had crossed another line; this was almost total annihilation of a Clan.

When he gets to the medcenter he finds it’s already locked down and he internally curses. Kelan. Kelan probably got inside and locked it down to keep Lis safe. He punches in a code to unlock the front and drags his companions through, roughly depositing them just inside the doors. He takes off at a jog down the hall and calls back over his shoulder to them, ”Help direct anyone this way who comes in. You two are the least injured.”

He doesn't stop to hear their answer, he's too worried about Atlis and Kelan. It's selfish and unprofessional but he doesn't care right now. He needs to know they're okay. Later he’ll berate himself for not taking better care of the others but there's something driving him to check for Atlis and Kelan, a niggling feeling in the back of his head that something is very wrong.

Atlis’s door is open when he gets to it and he can see her inside, using the handrails on the cot to hold herself steady as she struggles to stand. Her head whips up when she hears Pax’s relieved sigh. He can see in her eyes she was ready to fight whoever had come in and then watches relief flood her face as she recognizes him. He would give her proper credit later for being willing to fight in the state she was in. No wonder Kelan liked her so much.

Her relief quickly turns to panic though as she looks around the room and strains to look behind Pax. Confused, Pax also starts looking around before dawning horror sets in and he looks back into Atlis’ wide brown eyes. Her voice trembles as she croaks out ”Where is Kelan?”

 _Where is Kelan? Where is- Where the kriffing hell is Kelan?!_ True horror settles into his bones at her words. He crosses the room to her in three strides and grabs at her shoulders roughly, both to hold her upright and to make sure she’s paying attention. ”I thought he was here!” Atlis flinches back and he realizes he must have been screaming in her face. His fingers dig into her left shoulder, the right hand loosening to relieve the pressure. ”I thought he would come back for you. I took off when the bombs hit, we split up….” he trails off and Atlis watches as his eyes lose focus. ”He’s still out there.” He takes a step back from her and then another and another until his back hits the wall and then he's scrambling and tripping over his own feet as he flees out into the corridor. He can faintly hear Atlis screaming behind him ”Where are you going” but he doesn't stop, he can't stop. He has to go find Kelan. They were just starting to get along. Kelan didn't have his helmet. Kelan was out there and maybe vulnerable without the enhanced optics and the filtration system his helmet provided. Who knew what was in those explosives he carried, those chemicals could possibly kill him. Who knew what Corra was tossing out, that could also kill him!

There are more survivors coming across the courtyard as he runs from the building, people he didn't remember seeing in the group he’d helped save earlier. There's a sea of green armor carrying those who can't walk themselves or helping the elderly. So the Dorne warriors managed to get mobilized and start moving people. That's good. Pax pushes his way through looking for a familiar face along the way. He claps a few of the men and women on the shoulders, giving directions on what to do once they get to the medcenter. It's in the back of the group he spots what he’s been looking for; Kelan. Something isn't right though. The brunette has a hand clasped over the back of his head and from his position Pax can see blood on his gauntlets and chest.

”Please don't let it be his, please don't let it be his” he murmurs over and over as he starts pushing harder through the people to get to Kelan. He can see the moment the other man realizes who is running towards him; total exasperation followed by an eye roll. Pax almost wants to laugh because that's just so Kelan so he must be okay.

When he finally stops before him the tension is palpable. There's an awkwardness hovering around the pair now that Kelan has seemed to get the anger out of his system. Pax doesn't know if it's okay to hug him or not. Can he check his wound? Should he ask if he’s okay? Can he even touch him? Is Kelan going to hit him again because he certainly looks like he wants to.

Kelan’s face clouds over with impatience as he watches the ginger bounce nervously from foot to foot. He can read all the indecision on his face and it's just… exhausting. He feels more tired just watching the boy run through a thousand emotions in mere seconds. His head hurts and he's near frantic to check on Lis and Pax being a baby about everything is just making him pissy. He reaches out with his free hand and snatches the front of Pax’s shirt up, yanking him closer. ”Kriffing chill. You’re making me dizzy. My karking head hurts and you're making it worse by acting like a spaz.” His eyes widen a fraction and Kelan can’t help but smirk at the look on his face, the red coloring his cheeks and the fear. Satisfied he’d made his point he releases his shirt and grins when the boy stumbles.

That smile. Stars above, that ridiculous cocky smile. It did Pax’s anxious mind good to see the man smiling like that despite the hell around them. He laughs lightly when he regains his footing and shakes his head. Mentally he’s bordering on hysterics because this is all so insane but he’s trying to keep a straight face in front of Kelan. Slowly he reaches out and lays a hand on the elbow Kelan has behind his head. The larger man startles slightly then nods, barely moving his head. Pax takes that as a good cue and slowly moves his hand over his arm, across the gauntlet, before replacing Kelan’s hand on the back of his head with his own. He’s immediately met with a sticky mess that sets his mind back into overdrive.

“You shouldn’t be walking! What are you doing? We need to get you to the medcenter and take care of this before we evacuate!”

Kelan flinches at the high volume of his voice but manages to shake his head. “More important things” he mutters, knowing full well his health was important. If he got worse then he wouldn’t be able to help get anyone else out of here.

Pax’s hand tightens imperceptibly on the back of Kelan’s head and he guides the other man forward so their noses are almost touching. If he focuses he can feel Kelan’s breathing. No, not the time for that. “There is nothing more important, Dorne.”

Kelan casts his eyes to the side, uncomfortable with the nearness and the firmness in Pax’s voice. “Yes there is. I’m one person, not the whole Clan. Everyone would be fine without me, just like always.”

“I wouldn’t.”

It’s so soft, he’s not sure if he heard it correctly. There’s no way Pax had said what he thought he’d said because that would make no sense. The Clan had obviously moved forward just fine without him. They moved the medcenter to a better area, Pax was a field medic, they had more ordnance operatives than they knew what to do with, and several Clans had joined as allies. There was no kriffing way Pax Thano had just said he wouldn’t be fine without him. Because honestly that didn’t make sense. Pax was so much better off without him.

“Look at me, Kelan.”

Oh. Oh, he didn’t want to think about what that rough whisper did to him because that was several kinds of hell no right now. This was so not the time to be analyzing these new weird feelings- but was it weird or new if he’d definitely thought about this before? _No, Kelan, quit it. Get out of here._

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” He reaches back and dislodges Pax’s hand from his head and steps around him to head towards the medcenter. He needed to get out of here right the hell now, this was not the time. They had a Clan to save and Atlis to check on and-

Pax growls low and spins on his heel, hand snapping out and catching Kelan’s as he passes. “Dammit Kelan, stop” he snarls out, teeth bared and a heat in his eyes Kelan had never seen before. Gone was the meek boy who would rather hide than stand up for himself.

Kelan doesn’t turn around but doesn’t snatch his hand back either. “We don’t have time for this, Pax. I need to go check on Lis and we need to get the Clan out of here.”

Pax’s laugh is humorless but loud, startling several people who are making their way to evacuation areas. There’s still explosions in the distance and this whole situation keeps getting more absurd by the second. “We’ve got five minutes to figure this out.” He swallows the lump forming in his throat and tugs Kelan’s hand, mentally cheering when he moves back towards him with no resistance. Small victories. He reaches up and palms Kelan’s face, sliding his fingers back into the blood-damp tangle of hair.

Kelan finds he can’t deal with that look on Pax’s face, not right now. There’s hope and fear and some other stupid emotion he doesn’t want to name written all over it and it makes him both nauseous and excited. There’s this crawling sensation working its way outwards from his stomach and he’s pretty sure it’s the urge to bolt. Was this something else Pax would use against him later? Was the boy just storing up moments of Kelan’s weaknesses to release later and discredit him? What other reason was there for Pax’s constant kriffing need to be right beside him?

“I’m not out to get you, I’m on your side.”

Seven hells that damn voice of his. “Screw it, I’m going to die today anyways.” Kelan has two seconds to enjoy that look of confusion on Pax’s face before he hauls him in, using that grip on his hand to his advantage. Pax lets out a startled squeak and the fingers on Kelan’s head clench, causing him to hiss in pain. “Watch it, you little shit. I’m in enough pain as it is.” Pax’s face flashes in worry even as his cheeks heat up at their closeness.

Pax swallows thickly, growing even more embarrassed when he notices Kelan’s eyes tracking the bob of his throat and lingering on his lips. “We should get you to the center, I can patch your head up and then we can-“

“Shut up, Thano”, Kelan interjects. He take in the red face, the wide eyes, the tip of a tongue darting out to wet parched lips- and he knows he’s done for. His voice is low and gravelly as he purrs out, “You talk too much. Let me help you with that.”

As far as kissing goes, Kelan would say he was fairly experienced. He’d spent a good deal of his adult life with his mouth against one person or another’s. Sometimes it was for pleasure, sometimes it was to help get information for a job… but it was usually for pleasure. He made no arguments against how much he fooled around, Lis had called him on trying to downplay it before. Kelan had kissed his fair share of species and genders, too. Each one was pleasurable in its own way and he had fond memories of a few. He’d even fantasized once or twice about this exact scenario, something Lis would never let him live down, but nothing could compare to actually living it. Adrenaline high, sweat slicked, blood and dirt coated… this was beyond what Kelan had imagined.

Pax was still at first, shocked into rigid form by what was happening. His eyes had thankfully slid shut immediately but his brain was screaming at him that he was being a nerd and he needed to get with the program. Kelan was kissing him. Kelan-kriffing-Dorne was kissing him. Oh stars above this was actually happening and he wasn’t dreaming. Kelan’s soft growl interrupts his thoughts and his eyes snap open at the lack of lip contact. Kelan’s green orbs are staring at him beneath heavy lids and that look just does so much for him. He shudders in the other man’s embrace. When had Kelan slid his arms around him, when had he let go of their hands? “You gotta do something here or you’re going to give me a complex.” Kelan’s voice is deep and rough and this time it’s Pax who closes the distance between their lips, hand fisted in Kelan’s short hair and the other tugging at his ab plate, pulling their bodies flush together.

He’s almost sure Kelan can hear his heart beating, there’s no way he can’t. It’s out of control. When Kelan tilts his head ever so slightly to the left for a better angle and his tongue slips out to tease at his lips, Pax almost moans. He opens readily to him and meets with his own, this time unable to hold back a small noise. Oh hells he was done for. They could die right here and he’d be fine with that.

Kelan pulls away first and places a small kiss on Pax’s nose before nuzzling his face into his cheek. Oh gods was Kelan being affectionate?! He’d have to file this away for later. He can’t help the stupid grin taking over his face when Kelan kisses his cheek before fully stepping away. He clears his throat and meets Pax’s eyes with a heated stare. ”We need to get going. We can, uh-”, Kelan’s face flushes here, ”-we can continue this discussion later.” Oh he was so cute when he was embarrassed.

Pax nods and grabs Kelan’s hand again and starts back towards the medcenter, pointedly ignoring the few people who had stopped to stare. Save the Clan now, worry about this whole thing later. He was a medic, he had a job to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _It was like a time bomb set into motion_  
>  We knew that we were destined to explode  
> And if I had to pull you out of the wreckage  
> You know I'm never gonna let you let me go  
> We're like a time bomb, gonna lose it  
> Let's diffuse it  
> Baby, we're like a time bomb, but I need it  
> Wouldn't have it any other way
> 
>  
> 
> The song for this chapter is Time-Bomb by All Time Low, it seemed oddly fitting for the situation and these two idiots.
> 
> Shout-out to [shimmersing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shimmersing) and [salaciouscrumpet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/salacious_crumpet) for helping me get over my title block by assuring me I can name this whatever I want.
> 
> And as always, you can find me on Tumblr; [Technoplague](https://technoplague.tumblr.com/)


	9. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lis gets a surprise vacation and learns what happened while she was trapped in the hospital. Kelan thinks he's smoother than he is.

Watching one's home burn was a sight to behold.

High above the smoldering remains of the Dorne compound, Kelan was pushed nearly flush to a window as he watched his home get smaller and smaller, both from distance and the fire spreading. The aching in his chest was rivaled only by the pounding in his skull and the constant feeling like he wanted to puke, he wasn't sure which of the latter two would win out or if maybe the puking was a direct cause of the pain. From this height, he could barely make out where the square had been and he only knew that based on it being the area currently spewing the least amount of smoke.

They’d lost too many people today; good warriors, good people, and family. A bunch of people had managed to get out either through the medcenter or their own evacuation routes but it hadn’t been enough. Kelan’s own mother, for fuck’s sake, had stayed as long as she could before Kelan had threatened to knock her ass out and unceremoniously drag her unconscious body onto a ship. He wasn't sure if his words had actually swayed her or just the thought of him showing up after three years and actually giving a shit about her still was what spurred her into rounding up her men and getting a move on. Whatever it was he was grateful for it. He didn't know if he was ready to lose his mother, not after the last two days he’d had. After everything with Lis waking up, the fight with Pax, the subsequent makeup with Pax, and then the unending bloodshed and explosions… He just didn't have it in him to lose her.

The small hand that had been rubbing soothing circles on his back slowly stills and drops, hooking into the holster attached to his hip. He’d dropped as much armor as he could when he got on the ship and it currently resided at his feet. He never did end up getting his helmet again and he silently, selfishly, mourned its loss as well. He casts a glance to the small figure beside him and bumps his arm against her shoulder. She was still pale and unsteady but it was like a fire had been lit in her and that was all that was keeping her upright. He couldn't imagine how she was feeling and he hated himself for dragging her into this. He should’ve stabilized her and rushed her off planet. Instead, he’d selfishly kept her with him and his family had paid for it with their lives. He wondered if his mother would rescind the offer to help with her arm, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t. For whatever reason, that woman loved Lis like a daughter….a very weak daughter who was shit at everything but you still loved regardless. He chuckles at that and nudges her shoulder again.

Lis looks up into Kelan’s face at the second nudge and gives him a tired smile, using every bit of energy she could muster to force even that much. She needed to sit, and soon, but there were others far worse off who needed the limited seating, still more who were on the floor of the ship. She could stand until they got to safety, she owed everyone that much. The guilt was clawing at her and she was doing her best to keep it at bay. Maybe later she could break down when she was in the privacy of her own area or alone with Kelan. Kelan would let her rail and cry for a while but she knew, in the end, he wouldn't let her accept the blame herself.

As if Kelan could read her mind he slips an arm around her back and tugs her closer, smiling to himself when her head falls against his chest. She makes a mental note to thank him later as he presses a kiss to the top of her head and whispers, ”We’ll get you off your feet soon, Lis. I know you're tired.” Tiredly she nods into his solid chest and breathes in the scent of smoke clinging to him. It was oddly comforting despite knowing why he smelled that way.

She must have dozed off sometime during the flight. She concluded this from the excited chatter in the ship and Kelan’s agitated shifting. She reaches up with her hand and pinches his side before removing her weight from him to stand on her own two feet. _At least I still have both of those_ , she thinks glumly as she looks around at the refugees packed together. The people on her ship were mostly intact, some with minor cuts and some with broken limbs. But there was loss written on a lot of faces. Some people had lost more than a limb, they’d lost a loved one or loved ones.

It’s jarring when the ship lands and she finds herself wrapped in Kelan’s arms to keep from toppling over. From the corner of her eye she catches Pax watching them with a grim set to his mouth. Unable to wave due to it being on her right side she nods towards him instead. Kelan’s head turns just in time to see the redhead marching off to the cockpit, carefully dodging through people and trying to make himself small. Lis notices as well and glances up to Kelan in confusion but he just shakes his head and places a kiss to her forehead. Her face heats up and she looks away, choosing instead to watch as people leapt from the ship or helped others get down.

When it's finally almost empty she makes her way towards the exit and gets yanked backwards by her remaining arm, hissing in pain and nearly toppling over from the force. Immediately Kelan is beside her, whispering apologies and rubbing his hands over her shoulder. His hands felt nice on her aching limbs, nicer than she’d admit to him. But it doesn't excuse the fact that he tried to rip her other arm off…

”Why did you stop me,” she asks, not quite sure why she's whispering. Something about the way Kelan is acting makes her think there's some big secret conspiracy happening that others shouldn't be let in on.

Kelan folds her into his embrace once more and shuffles them back towards a bench, shuffling Lis to fit between his legs as he sprawls out. She would blush if this wasn't such a normal thing for them. The first few times they'd sat this way she swore she’d nearly caught fire and Kelan had found her reddened face endlessly amusing. His gloveless fingers comb through her hair as he speaks, gently working away the tangles and knots. ”We’re not getting off here. The three of us are going to get your arm fixed since the doctor can't come to us anymore.”

She stills in his embrace, back turning rigid and a shiver creeping through her. She wiggles free from his arms and puts distance between them so she can turn to view his face. ”Where are we going” she asks softly, studying her companion’s face for any hint of a potential lie. ”I thought you said the Clan was donating beskar but you guys need everything right now, so I want to know what’s happening. This is my fucking arm we’re talking about here.”

Kelan flinches at the way her voice drops and hardens in her seriousness. For being five-foot-seven she was somehow intimidating to him when she was in a mood and she knew how to wield that little bit of power to suit her needs. Seeing his chagrined expression now she knows she’s not going to like his upcoming answer and she's proved right as he murmurs out ”Nar Shadaa” with downcast eyes.

Nar-kriffing-Shaddaa. Kill her now, this was going to be one hell of an adventure. ”You’re shitting me, yeah?” The grim set to his mouth and the steel in his eyes tells her he isn’t. Fucking hell-yeah okay, she was going to smother him in his sleep. She reaches up to push her hair from her face, realizing two seconds later that her brain had told her to do it with her no-longer-attached right arm. Her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and anger and she switches to doing it with her left, fingers getting caught in tangles and the movement awkward overall. Kelan wisely chooses to look away from her fumbling and keep his mouth shut.

His foot bumps against her knee in a bid for her attention; childishly she chooses to ignore it and stumble her way to standing. With a half smirk cast his direction she starts towards the cockpit, fully planning to have them go literally anywhere else. She would prefer Hutta to Nar Shaddaa- no, that was a lie, Hutta would just give her an infection. Okay so maybe they could go to Corusca- no, Mandalorians weren't necessarily welcome there.

Fuck, Nar Shaddaa was looking to be their only option to accommodate everyone’s various affiliations while still getting her patched up. They wouldn't be asked questions there either… _Fuck my life._

A run-in with a very solid object jerks her from her thoughts and without thinking she reaches up and splays a hand across the obstruction. When her brain finally registers what she's seeing she squeaks and jumps back, slamming spine first into a corner with a loud curse.

The obstruction, she now recognized it as Pax, looks alarmed at her choice of word and her predicament. She was his patient after all, no wonder he’d be worried about her slamming into things without being fully healed…. or maybe he just liked to worry. That definitely seemed like a trait he’d possess.

Pax reaches out slowly and wraps a hand around her arm, gently drawing her away from the wall and back into the small hallway. “Sorry to startle you.” His voice is barely above a mumble as he speaks to her- no, at her. His eyes aren’t meeting hers and he’s looking everywhere but in her direction. Now that she’s actually looking for it she can see signs that he’s horribly uncomfortable being this close to her. Was it because he blamed her for the attack? Was he still freaked out over the brief interlude where he’d kissed her forehead? Sheesh, she hoped it wasn’t the latter.

The silence stretches between them for far longer than appropriate before Pax finally breaks it with possibly the dumbest thing he could say to her; “How are you and Kelan doing? I’m sure you guys are happy to be-“ He chokes here, face going red as he rubs the back of his neck.

Lis resists the urge to roll her eyes and instead sags back against the wall. “We’re not happy to be anything. He’s still as surly and sarcastic as five days ago and I just want to land anywhere but Nar Shaddaa.” She couldn’t even begin to describe to him how badly she didn’t want to go to Nar Shaddaa and she didn’t want to explain it if he asked.

Thankfully he doesn’t. He chooses instead to nod and slip past her, making sure to keep a healthy distance between them. Lis watches him glide past into the back of the ship, that shock of red hair like a beacon. She’s surprised to see him hug the wall to stay far from Kelan as he pushes further back, back towards the small medical cube. The door hisses shut behind him and it’s then she hears Kelan’s soft curse- almost too soft to hear but she’s attuned to his mumblings from years cooped up together.

The cockpit is silent as a grave when she finally heads in. Both Mandalorians are fully geared straight down- or rather, up- to their helmets. What could possibly warrant an armed escort? Why hadn’t they switched to a smaller ship?

It’s several seconds before one of them turns to look at Lis hovering in their doorway, the mirrored chrome of his visor reflecting the lights around him. He gives her a perfunctory nod and turns back to his job, already uninterested in their visitor. Lis moves to stand between the two seats as best she can and stares at the stars passing by as they leave the planet behind.

_So much for staying on Mandalore until I was healed._

The thought is slightly sobering despite how flippant it had sounded in her head. She had actually started to accept being planet-bound for awhile until everything had happened. Mandalore had an abundance of things to offer, enough that even she wouldn’t have been bored too quickly. The Dorne compound itself would’ve kept her entertained on its own for a while… except it was now a graveyard thanks to her.

She could only imagine what Corra was doing with it now. Corra, who was so purest in their ideals that only actual Corra blood could stay in the camp. If you weren’t a descendant somehow you were kicked out. Lis had assumed that was why they were so uptight about their stuff, they felt such strong possession over their own name that it somehow extended to even inanimate objects. Would they destroy everything belonging to Dorne because of what it represented? If anyone didn’t escape and still lived would they be killed or exiled?

These thoughts were enough to lock her in place as she watched everything slip by in silence.

~~~~

He had had enough, to be quite frank. Lis had been gone for an hour, doing who knew what, and the little shit was still ignoring him. That door hadn’t opened since he tiptoed his lanky ass back there and holed up.

Kelan was getting more and more fed up as time wore on and he realized he was staring at that door like it was a lifeline. Disgusted with himself he looks away, towards the door Lis had gone through. Great, now he was just pining after someone else. He honestly couldn’t win here. He was alone with nothing to amuse himself with and the only other two people on the ship, Pilots notwithstanding, wanted to be alone. How the hells did he get stuck with these two babies?

His will lasts only a few minutes. Swinging his legs off the bench he stands and stretches, wincing slightly at the pain along his ribs and the dull ache movement causes the back of his head. That would be a good reason to barge in on Pax, right? If he was in pain then he needed to be looked at-

He’s in motion before the thought even finishes, covering the short distance in almost a run. With an impatient press of a finger, the door opens and Kelan slides through before it’s even finished. At the sight of the thinner male curled up in a chair with a datapad in his hands, Kelan feels the electricity coursing through his body. His stomach simultaneously gets butterflies and unclenches. If he wouldn’t have been on guard for it he had a feeling he would’ve had a dopey grin on his face as well. Thankfully he’d anticipated that bit of stupidity and had schooled his features to show nothing. Hours ago he wanted to rip this kid apart but now here he was looking to get his hands on him another way. He didn’t understand it himself but he didn’t want to put too much thought into it either. How typical of him to act and not think.

Pax looks up at the sound of heavy boots and almost falls off the chair in his surprise, a strangled squeak escaping his lips at the sight of Kelan taking up the entire doorway. His response is immediate and automatic, “I still have to care for Atlis, you can’t kill me yet!” The datapad clatters to the floor noisily and both men flinch.

Of all the things he’d expected to hear from Pax, that certainly wasn’t one. He lifts his hands in mock-surrender to calm the other man. “Hey, whoa, where the fuck is that coming from? I thought we settled this?”

Pax’s face relaxes, thankfully, as he untucks his legs. His head shakes back and forth several times before he finally makes eye contact with Kelan and offers the timidest smile Kelan’s ever seen. It transforms Pax’s already young face into something more innocent and he can feel his heart melting at the look.

How had he ever hated this kid? Who could hate something that pure? Kelan gives himself a mental shake at those thoughts, knowing that’s how Pax got everyone else in the Clan to fall for him. He wasn’t going to fall victim to it too. They may have had that little interlude on the battlefield but he was still wary… even if he was itching to get a taste of him again.

He can see his own heat reflected in Pax’s eyes and he can’t stop the predatory grin from taking over. It was nice to know Pax wanted him just as bad- or worse since it seemed the kid had been harboring feelings for much, much longer. He reaches out across the space and grabs one of Pax’s hands in his own, tugging the boy and rolling chair to him. They glide seamlessly over the ship’s floor and straight into his armored shins. He chuckles a little at Pax’s concerned look, ruffling his hair as he murmurs to him “My legs are fine, surprisingly. It’s my ribs and my head that is killing me.” Bright blue orbs gaze upwards into greens and Kelan loses himself in those depths. He can see frustration, longing, and pain in them and his heart breaks a little knowing he’d caused that.

Pax breaks their silence by releasing Kelan’s hand and scooting back, scooping the datapad from the floor with a sigh. “I’ve got some kolto in here, let’s get you patched up.” He stands and moves around the small room, gathering supplies, then pushes Kelan towards the bench on the wall. “Sit your big ass down so I can look at your head properly.”

Kelan barks out a laugh, startling both of them which then makes them laugh more. He does as he’s told and situates himself onto the bench with his back towards Pax as much as possible. Slim fingers card through his short hair. He knows Pax is looking for the cut but he can’t help but take some small pleasure in the feeling. It sets goosebumps across his skin and by the sudden intake of breath he can tell Pax isn’t unaffected by this either. But the boy is too serious in his work and just as quick as he’d set his hands on him those hands are removed and replaced with a chilling burst of bacta-spray. The smell hits his nose and he crinkles it in disgust.

“I need you to stand back up and remove your shirt.” Kelan’s head whips towards him, lips ready with a retort when Pax cuts him off. “Or leave it on, actually. Just hold the side up. I’ll put a patch on it.” Pax’s eyes are suddenly looking everywhere but at him, lips pressed tightly together in a firm line.

What a fierce look for such a small boy. Why the sudden retraction, Thano?

Slightly unsure he stands and pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the bench. He’s rewarded with Pax sucking in a quick breath and he feels a little more confident about his actions when those fingers start gently probing at the bruise blooming across his side. When they find the tenderest area they retract quickly. Kelan finds himself missing their warmth and mentally chides himself. No need to get sentimental, idiot.

Pax rips open a bacta-patch and sticks it over Kelan’s side, making sure to press firmly along the edges to seal it to the skin. He’s careful to place it over only the worst area and even his firm touch is still gentle. His hands pull back and he moves across the room, putting as much space between them as he can.

“You can put your shirt back on now, Dorne. We don’t all need a reminder of how impressive you look.”

Both boys look over to the door where Lis is leaning. Pax looks uncomfortable and vaguely ill and Kelan just looks over at her, fury written across his face. It intensifies when Lis giggles at the look.

“I thought you were busy convincing the pilots to take us somewhere else” he snaps out. He was so going to kill her one day for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

She shrugs her good shoulder and steps into the room, glancing between the two men. He watches as the realization of what she’d walked in on dawns on her face, her cheeks glowing red and a shit-eating grin splitting her lips. “Did I interrupt an ass-beating? Don’t let me stop you, I’d love to watch you boys fight.” Her smile suddenly falls and she glares daggers at Kelan. “Since I apparently missed the first one.”

Pax whistles low and Kelan actually turns to glare at him now. Angrily he snatches his shirt up and over his head in a smooth motion, marching past Lis to get out of the too-cramped room. Lis is hot on his heels though, pestering him with her snickers and prodding at his back with her finger. When he finally flops back down onto his previously vacated bench he snatches her arm, yanking her down into his lap and wrapping his arms tight around her middle as he buries his face into her neck.

“You ruin everything, Nivix. You’re such a brat. I should rip your other arm off myself.”

Lis shudders in his embrace and he smirks, nipping gently at the tender skin under his teeth. When she speaks her voice is shaky, that confidence faltering and causing Kelan to cheer triumphantly in his head.

“I didn’t know things were like that. Last I heard you wanted to beat his ass in a whole different way.”

Kelan covers her mouth with a hand and groans. She really did ruin everything. “We’re not discussing this and I still do want to beat his ass. He’s more than earned it. One battlefield fuck-up doesn’t change anything.”

Interest now piqued, Lis glances out of the corner of her eye at her friend. The tips of his ears are red and she knows this will be a story worth hearing. “Spill it, lover boy. You’re as charming as a rock so I want to know what happened while I was locked in a room and losing my mind.” Her voice drops low and she relaxes into his embrace. “I need the distraction right now, Kelan.”

His hold tightens on her briefly- and then he starts his story.

~~~~

Pax watches from just inside the door of the medcenter, his heart shattering and stomach clenching as he watches Kelan and Lis on the bench. He knew. He knew they were like that. But Kelan hadn’t said anything and then he’d kissed him and-

“You’re an idiot, Pax. You’re a kriffing idiot.”

He doesn’t stay to try and hear anything more, just closes himself off in the medcenter and hides back in his chair with the datapad.

He could use a distraction right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, been MIA awhile. Sorry about that >.<


End file.
